


Memories Made

by allthingsgo



Category: Community (TV)
Genre: F/M, wedding au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-12
Updated: 2015-10-03
Packaged: 2018-03-22 11:48:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 21,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3727714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allthingsgo/pseuds/allthingsgo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Annie needs a date to a wedding...</p><p>(Need I say more?)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I think it's gonna work out fine

**Author's Note:**

> Self-indulgent fluff/self-indulgent past exploration/hopefully all feels

Anthony is getting married. Annie’s twenty year-old little brother is getting married, to a girlfriend-or better put, _fiancée_ \- Annie had no idea even existed. 

She received the invitation two days ago, in a beige envelope with a pastel floral pattern that looked the farthest from anything Anthony would ever endorse let alone put his name on, telling her to “Save the Date” for May 24th in order to _“celebrate the union of two souls in eternal love”._

Maybe under different circumstances she would have felt excitement, or the flutter of butterflies in her stomach at the sight of those words, but instead all she had felt was pure shock. She called him that day just to make sure it wasn’t a prank, and even though she heard him laugh at her over the phone, he assured her it wasn’t a prank, that this wedding is actually happening. 

Anthony Edison is getting hitched to his girlfriend of five months, and Annie’s parents are paying for it. For all of it. 

Which meant, of course, they would be there. 

  
~~~

Annie stares at the invitation again, rubbing at the corner held between her index finger and thumb. In four days her brother will be married to “Amanda Packard”. She squints at the stationary. The name looks vaguely familiar, but she can’t quite place where’s she’s seen it before. She sighs- she’ll put a face to the name soon enough- and stuffs the card back in its envelope, tossing it on the coffee table. Then she settles into one of the stools in front of her kitchen, planting her elbows on the counter and resting her head in her palms. 

“So,” she hears from somewhere deep in her refrigerator. “When’s the wedding again?”

Jeff pops his head out, a plastic container of hummus held between his teeth, some pita bread in his right hand and half an avocado in his left. 

“Four days,” she chirps, with all the cheeriness she can muster. Jeff isn’t buying it, though, she can tell. He frowns, the hummus container still in his mouth. Annie smiles and reaches forward to lessen his burden. She takes the container and slips the lid off, setting the hummus on the counter. Jeff mutters a “thanks” and gets to slicing his bread. Annie watches him, waiting for the right moment to ask what she’s been waiting to ask him since he got here. Maybe if she stares at him long enough he’ll get it. 

“Do you have a date?”

Jeff is nonchalant, but it’s an opening, and Annie is going to take it. She coyly lifts her head from her hands and stretches her forearms out in front of her, stopping short of cracking her knuckles. The moment of truth.

“I was actually wondering if you could be my date,” she murmurs.

Jeff stops slicing and Annie starts stressing.

“Well not like a real date-date, you know,” she stammers. She’s already starting to wave her hands around, lord help her. “It’s not… it’s not like that. I just need a plus-one, is what I’m saying. That’s it.” 

Jeff stares at her and Annie feels her neck grow hot. He slowly takes a step back and opens the fridge again, fishing out a bottle of juice. At this point Annie’s a little annoyed he hasn’t spoken yet, but if he needs some juice to say “yes”, she’ll wait. 

“…look Annie, not that I want to be a jerk… but weddings aren’t exactly conducive to my good time.” He takes a sip, watching her with raised eyebrows. Annie frowns at him. “Why not ask Abed to go with you?”

“I did!” she squeaks, because it's true. Jeff has not taken his eyes off her once, still holding the bottle to his lips.

“He said no,” she continues, lowering her voice to a more serious tone. “He said it wasn’t the right trope for us…” Annie makes air quotes and pulls a face at the memory, ending her bit in an exasperated sigh. Jeff sets his bottle on the counter.

“The point is… Abed insists he can’t go, Britta is at that retreat with her parents, and you’re my only hope.”

“Annie…”

“Jeff, my parents are going to be there. Please don’t make me face them alone.”

He softens at that, Annie can see it. She can do this. She gets off her stool and approaches him.

_“Pleeeeeeease?”_

Jeff groans, and Annie lets herself giggle. Sometimes Jeff is just way too easy, or maybe she's always been this good. She sidles up next to him for the last nail in the coffin.

“C’mon, you know you want to,” Annie sings, poking at his side. Hopefully she doesn’t look like she’s enjoying herself too much, because Jeff can’t even look at her; he’s nearly pouting. Then, after a few tense moments of staring at the floor, he says something. 

“Damn it, Annie.”

“So it’s a yes!” She wraps her arms around him and squeezes; filled to the brim with excitement and just overwhelming relief. She knows she won’t be able to survive this weekend alone, and in the back of her mind she wonders if she’ll even be able to get through it with company.

It's been nearly six years since she's spoken to her parents. Mostly by her own volition, though they haven’t made a single effort to reconnect either. 

Sometimes after Abed’s gone to bed and it’s just her staring up at the ceiling of her bedroom, her fingers itch with the urge to call them, or text them, or even just message them on Facebook. And the one time she managed to get the phone in her hand all the words she’d dreamed of saying wouldn’t come out, like they’d disappeared right along with her nerve. She hasn’t tried reaching out again since; which gives this wedding the potential to be either a blessing in disguise or a complete disaster.

Annie feels Jeff carefully begin to peel her off of him and cooperatively takes a step back, beaming up at him as she does so, hoping he doesn’t take back the “yes” that he actually…didn’t say. 

“It’s definitely a yes, right?”

Jeff narrows his eyes at her, his hands splayed on the counter, and despite herself she holds her breath, because she doesn’t want to be worried (it’s _Jeff_ ) but the fate of all her familial relationships depends on this one weekend affair. 

“Yes.”

She squeals, and latches right back onto him, “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” 

Jeff grumpily mutters something about debts and payback, but relaxes into the hug anyway, and Annie doesn’t care if it’s just for her sake because she’s got a partner now. 

“Alright, details.” She runs from the kitchen into her room to grab her day planner and comes rushing back out to slap it onto the counter in front of Jeff, page open to Friday May 22nd, and her finger on the 10:00 AM line. “You come pick me up at 10:00 with your car and your stuff, and we depart at 10:30.” She looks up to check if he’s following; he is. 

“It’s an hour and eleven minutes to Colorado Springs, no traffic, so I expect to be there no later than 12:00.”

Jeff scoffs. Annie points a finger at him in warning. 

“We get there, check into the hotel, unpack, you know…” Everything about this weekend is actually starting to feel really good now, and Annie lets it show in the way she’s practically singing all the tasks in her planner. “Anyway, Saturday is the rehearsal dinner, and Sunday is the wedding, and we can make it back here by Sunday night.” 

She closes her book. “You think you can handle it?”

Jeff scoffs again, leaning forward, “You think _you_ can handle it?”

Annie takes a moment to think.

“With you, now. Yeah.”

  
~~~  


Jeff is the perfect gentleman, helping her fit her two suitcases and backpack in the trunk. 

“God, Annie, it’s a weekend not a month-long retreat,” he huffs, pushing down on her matching pink luggage. Annie swats at his hand. 

“Careful.” She tries to rearrange her backpack, but with Jeff’s suitcase and three separate travel bags and her two behemoths there is no space left to squeeze it into. She purses her lips at the mess, “You know what I think I’ll just put this in the backseat.”

Jeff resolutely slams the trunk door shut. “Agreed.” 

Annie settles into the passenger seat, taking three USB drives out of her pocket. She wasn’t sure about Jeff’s music tastes, so she made three hour long playlists just in case. Needless to say her Thursday had been incredibly busy. 

“So,” she begins, once Jeff puts the car in ignition. He turns his head to look at her. 

“Rock, pop, or rap?” 

Jeff groans, pulling out of the parking lot. “Surprise me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This isn't really an AU, more of a mid-season 6 kind of deal. I mean the only difference from canon is that there's a wedding happening. Anyway, enjoy. This is a labor of love, from me a shipper to all other shippers <3


	2. I remember you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annie sees a familiar face

The resort is, in every sense of the word, breathtaking.

As soon as they pull up to rustic metal gates at the edge of the property (fifteen minutes _past_ twelve, might she add), two young men in white uniforms guide them past the doors and politely introduce themselves as Richard and Constantine. They hold open the car doors for Annie and Jeff (which she greatly appreciates; Jeff is kind of iffy about it from what she can tell) and help them load their luggage onto a resort golf cart that Annie and Jeff then take up to the hotel as Richard parks their car somewhere in the resort’s underground garage. 

So, fantastic service? Check.

About the resort itself Annie already knows that it counts with a golf course, two large parks, a lagoon, and three separate restaurants on location. What she didn’t account for is how truly _beautiful_ all those things would be. She’s in awe the whole ride up to the hotel, from the swans floating in the pond to the expanse of evergreen all around them. She’s so enamored she almost doesn’t notice that they’ve already pulled up to the cul-de-sac in front of the hotel, which is equally as amazing. When her parents splurge, boy do they _really_ splurge. 

For a moment, it makes her think about how her life would be like if she had accepted their money all those years ago.

Constantine puts all their stuff in the luggage cart and wheels it through the hotel doors right after them, almost bumping into Annie when she freezes at the sight of the huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling. No, more like floating underneath the ceiling, because it looks that majestic. 

Jeff retraces his steps when he notices she’s not next to him anymore. 

“Hey, Annie, if it were up to me you could stare at this thing all day, but that receptionist is eyeballing us really hard and I think you’re making Constantine uncomfortable.”

Annie glances at Constantine, and she just laughs, because he still has that plastic costumer service grin on his face which means Jeff just pointed him out to pick on him. 

Jeff smiles at her and she puts a pin in the chandelier staring for later.

“Annie Edison?” calls the receptionist, whose name tag reads Kendall. 

“Yes, that’s me.” Annie returns Kendall's huge grin with a more relaxed smile of her own, and rests her hands on the counter (which is weirdly too tall and nearly reaches up to her shoulders). Jeff silently scoots up next to her, making no sounds except for a few distracted whistles. He obviously has no problem resting his elbows on the marble.

“Ms. Edison, we’ve been looking forward to your arrival and East Villa Hotel and Resort is very happy to have you”—happy to have her parents’ money, she means—“and your…” she glances at Jeff, and for the third time since Annie’s been here she draws a blank. 

“Legal guardian,” quips Jeff, extending his hand for Kendall to shake, but not before Annie scoffs and swats at it, against her better judgment. 

“Don’t listen to him.” She tries a laugh, but it just comes out hollow and fake and kind of makes things more awkward. 

“He’s just a friend, it’s no…thing.” She looks down, all of a sudden very interested in her nail beds, but she sees poor Kendall’s face is going through a million micro-expressions a minute as she tries to figure out how to salvage this whole thing. 

“Well, umm… regardless, your suite is ready for you.” Kendall brings up a sheet of paper and a pen and sets them in front of Annie. Then her face falls for a split second (but never so much that it makes a dent in her employee-of-the-month smile) and she adds, “I hope the room won’t be of any inconvenience; its amenities include only a queen bed and a sitting area, plus the standard kitchenette and bathroom, of course.”

Annie slows down her scribbling only slightly. She doesn’t really want to think about this right now.

“We are fully booked this weekend, I’m afraid.” 

Annie hums, letting the pen fall and sliding it and the paper toward Kendall. “It’s no problem at all. The guardian can take the couch.”

She can just barely detect the groan rising in Jeff’s throat, but he has the good sense not to let it out. 

Before they leave, Kendall hands Annie a map of the entire property, her room key and the information regarding Jeff’s car and how the whole valet process works. Constantine pledges to meet them at their room—13B –and Annie and Jeff wait patiently for the elevator to take them up those thirteen floors. 

After a few tense seconds, Jeff speaks, “Thirteen’s not the luckiest number.” He balances on the balls on his feet, then back to his heels, keeping a lazy momentum. His tone is conversational, but he doesn’t look at her, just stares at the door.

Well, good, she doesn’t want to look at him either.

“I’m not superstitious.” She shoots down the potential chat. Shoots it dead.

Jeff glances at her, glum. But then he’s back to staring straight ahead. “Me neither.”

Annie keeps her eyes trained on the red numbers above the number pad. Nine, ten…

“I’m sorry I said I was your guardian.” 

Annie huffs out a wry chuckle, because _yeah_. 

“I won’t say it again, but… what do you _want_ me to say?”

“Just don’t make weird jokes, okay?” Annie turns to him, still irritated, but less so now. She hates when Jeff makes himself out to be the father figure, for no significant reason other than it just rubs her the wrong way. At least it wasn’t someone else that said it, though; that usually makes her feel worse. 

Jeff nods solemnly, hands in his pockets, and it's clear he doesn't like those jokes much either, despite his reflex to make them. 

Before she can say anything else the elevator comes to a stop and with a ding, the doors slide open to reveal Constantine standing next to his luggage cart, beaming at them and looking positively jolly. It’s kind of disconcerting, and Annie wonders how much they have to tip him. 

Jeff steps forward and in two strides he’s got the first suitcase in his hands, mirroring Constantine’s smile and assuring him in facetiously warm tones that “oh, he’s got everything covered, thanks so much for your help”. Annie side-eyes the most polite argument ever and slips the room key into the slot, pushing the door open to a room that honestly looks like it was lifted from a magazine. 

Everything Kendall said about it is true, except she forgot to mention that it’s _perfect_. There’s Annie’s queen size bed, all white with a comforter that looks like someone draped a cloud over the mattress. Jeff’s couch looks less enticing, but that’s only because it’s a couch; it’s also white, perfectly contrasting the soft grey of the carpet. Annie’s gotta admit, the room’s got some excellent feng shui happening, with the sleek metal coffee table and two white leather chairs completing the sitting area. 

She walks further into the room, hearing Jeff shut the door behind her. She’ll ask what he did to Constantine after she finishes checking out the adorable little kitchen. As far as hotels go it’s pretty standard, she assumes, but it’s impressively shiny and she tinkers with the sink for a minute before Jeff calls her from the bathroom. 

“Annie, check this out.” She hurries over to meet him and he’s standing in the middle of the bathroom grinning, holding a shampoo bottle in his hand. “This is the stuff I use!”

Annie giggles, leaning back against the doorframe. “This place is _amazing_.” 

“You bet.” He holds the bottle in his hands almost tenderly, staring at it. “You know I think I’m going to have to steal shampoo bottles from a hotel for the first time in my life.”

Annie laughs at that, taking the bottle from him and bringing it up to her face, making a show of it. “Now who’s happy they came along with me, huh?” 

Jeff smirks at her, relaxed and easy. “I’m just not one to make a lady beg.” 

Annie’s not sure what happens in her chest at the sound of that, but it kind of feels like something drops from all the way up there to the pit of her stomach. Was Jeff just… flirting? 

(Was that some sort of _sexual innuendo?_ )

He makes his way to exit the bathroom, but the door is a bit narrow and it becomes an awkward shuffle for Annie to move out of his way without smushing into his torso. Which looks a bit firmer, now that she’s staring at it. Objectively, of course.

“You know, I had no idea my parents could afford this,” she starts, looking down at the carpet. Jeff is crouching down by his suitcase but she’s not comfortable looking at him again just yet. 

“They’re kind of paying for everything, aren’t they?”

Annie nods in his general direction, “Yeah, the resort, catering, the actual event. Probably Anthony’s room, too!” She sighs, staring out the suite’s huge window. A thought comes to her and she laughs, “God, if I had to pay for this room I don’t know if I could afford a—” 

Oh no. 

Her hand flies up to her forehead, and she drops the shampoo bottle when the other one flies to her mouth. 

She totally, _stupidly_ , forgot to buy Anthony a wedding present. 

“Oh god, Jeff, oh god…” She starts blabbering against her hand which makes her sound insane and the fact that she’s started pacing doesn’t help her case either, but it’s unfounded that she forget something so important so her panic is more than justified. She hates herself so much right now.

At some point Jeff stands up and gets his hands on her shoulders to still her, but she can’t really see his face too clearly through all the angry tears hazing up her vision. She can feel his concern, though, when he pulls her into a hug and asks what happened, smoothing down her hair in a way Annie considers to be uncharacteristically sweet of him. 

She can appreciate good comfort, though, and doesn’t hesitate sniffling into his chest. 

“I forgot to buy a present,” she mumbles. 

Anthony’s going to think she’s so horrible. He’s going to think she did it on purpose because she thought the wedding was such a weird thing, and then her parents are going to back him up and everyone’s going to hate her for being an inconsiderate sister.

“Nobody’s going to think that, Annie.”

She looks up at him, confused. Did Jeff just read her mind or--“I said all that out loud?” 

He smiles down at her. 

“You did, and none of it made any sense.”

Annie pouts for a second and nestles her face back into his shirt. “What would you think if your sister forgot to buy _you_ a present?”

Jeff sighs and stops rubbing her back, gently separating her from him. He looks her straight in the eyes. “I would think she was having a very busy weekend and I’d understand how easily shopping for a present could slip her mind.”

Annie rolls her eyes at him and settles on a vase to stare at, now that she can’t hide in Jeff’s pecs. “You’re _obviously_ just saying that.” 

“True, but I also think giving six days of notice for a wedding is pretty stupid.” 

Annie has to agree; it’s definitely really stupid. She rubs at her eyes and is relieved to find that they’re not wet anymore. 

(She quickly checks Jeff’s shirt for tear stains)

“Let’s just unpack everything, alright? If you ask nicely I’ll be willing to part with a tie for your brother.” 

Annie scoffs at his comment and the dumb smirk on his face, but she might just steal a tie if that’s what it comes down to. 

Jeff goes back to the suitcase he was rifling through, and Annie settles down next to him to open her own. Between carefully withdrawing his suit and dress pants and hanging them up in the closet, Jeff checks his watch.

“How about lunch, when we finish?” 

“Your treat?” Annie pulls out a sundress.

“Whoever unpacks their stuff first gets a free meal.”

Annie inwardly groans for packing so much, but a challenge is a challenge and she’s still pretty broke.

“Deal, Winger. Bring some extra for dessert.”

~~~~

After scrutinizing the map of the resort Kendall gave them and arguing about what Jeff feels like eating (since Annie lost their little race), they settle on Vista Bar & Grill, a rustic looking lodge overlooking the lagoon.

Their meal is delicious and not as expensive as Annie thought (though still pretty damn pricey), which makes it a little harder to compromise her honor and accept Jeff’s “gracious offer”—as he put it-- of splitting the bill. She sorts through her feelings of stung pride, appreciation, and that tiny bloom of warmth in her chest before letting him pay for his salad and grilled chicken. 

After lunch they wander throughout the property and check out all the resort’s amenities. They have to do it in a golf cart because the resort is so huge, but it still takes about three and a half hours to see everything. There’s a karaoke bar that Annie _definitely_ plans on taking Jeff to later tonight after they go bowling, and there are some boutiques that she’ll probably investigate tomorrow to see if she can find anything remotely suitable for Anthony. By 5:30 she’s really tired and drags Jeff to the golf cart so he can drive them back, all the while he’s complaining about the aggressive nature of swans and she’s trying not to crack up at the memory of him sprinting away from the flock of “devil birds” they ran into while strolling along the lagoon. 

The sun just barely begins to set when they drop off the golf cart and walk into the hotel lobby to find Anthony and his fiancée chatting with one of the mass-produced bellboys. Actually, Annie’s not too sure who she’s looking at, he turns and she sees something familiar about him, however different he may seem. He approaches her with a grin on his face and that’s already so weird in itself, but his beard is gone and his hair is shorter and he’s not wearing his glasses anymore, either. 

It causes some conflict inside of her to realize that she wasn’t present for any of these changes, that from the time she turned eighteen she began to miss so much of her family and their experiences, be they old or recent. It aches to see her brother so happy to see her, because she knows she hasn’t worked hard enough to deserve it.

He goes in for a hug first and _wow_ does it feel weird for him to do so. “Annie, you came!” 

She tries to relax and hugs him back with intent, “Of course I came! Why wouldn’t I come?”

“Oh, you know,” he pulls back. “Since you thought it was a prank.” 

Annie laughs nervously. “I mean… it was pretty out of the blue, amiright?” 

She’s ready to regret what she just said, because it wouldn’t have been out of the blue if she had just called him once or twice in the past few months, but luckily Anthony doesn’t seem to mind, instead he laughs and brings Amanda into a side-hug. She looks strangely familiar, and Annie wrestles with connecting her face to her name and to those rising suspicions in the back of her mind.

“Yeah, you’re right, but it makes sense considering Amanda and I have only been dating for five months.” He smiles at his fiancée, looking so in love Annie can almost ignore how ridiculous that sentence was. None of this makes any sense, still. Anthony’s only twenty, for god’s sake, he’s not even going to be able to toast at his own wedding. 

“Well, I’m really happy for you guys. I’m really glad you found each other.” It’s a miracle she manages to make it sound sincere, but if Anthony’s happy then the least she can do is try to be happy for him, too. Something pulls her gaze to the left and she makes eye contact with Jeff, letting out a breath when she realizes he’s just been standing there silently waiting for her to introduce him. 

“Oh, this is Jeff,” she says, slipping her arm into the crook of his. He tenses up just barely but Annie grins on, watching as he shakes Anthony and Amanda’s hands, dropping the Winger name as he introduces himself formally. 

Amanda smiles at him, looking curious. “So you’re Annie’s…?” 

“Friend,” Jeff nods, responding quickly. 

Annie has to agree, nodding emphatically. “I brought a friend.” 

Amanda stifles a giggle, “Here I was thinking Annie Edison had a boyfriend.” 

It takes hearing Amanda say her name for Annie to truly recognize her.

“Amanda Packard…” she murmurs, scrutinizing her face. After a second it totally clicks in Annie's mind. The girl that helped make Annie’s high school experience a living hell is standing right in front of her, and this Sunday she’s going to marry her brother. 

“I can’t believe it’s you,” mutters Annie, sliding her arm from Jeff’s. Amanda smiles sweetly, reaching out to touch Annie’s shoulder. Annie wants to throw up.

“I’m glad we’re seeing each other again, too, Annie. It’s been such a long time since the incident.” There’s concern etched in her expression, and her eyes flicker toward Jeff for a minute, who’s now starting to lean in protectively toward Annie. “I’m sure all of us here know what happened and I’m just so happy you’re doing well, Annie. You really look so amazing.” 

_No thanks to you_ , Annie wants to say, _or your friends_. She barely stops herself from nudging Amanda’s hand from her shoulder, but hopes to radiate enough hostile vibes for her to get the point. 

Amanda gives Annie’s arm a quick rub before dropping her hand back to her side, and Annie turns her clenched jaw on her brother before she does something she regrets.

“Anthony, why didn’t—how come?” Her voice is pitched way too high and she squeezes her eyes shut in an effort to regain composure. When she opens them again and looks at her brother, there’s rage there for him, too. 

Anthony looks concerned but he doesn’t make a move to reach out, probably because Jeff is standing so close. 

“Listen, Annie, I know what happened. Amanda told me everything.” Anthony puts his arm over Amanda’s shoulders and it’s suddenly gross. In the moment they don’t look like two people in love anymore, they look like co-conspirators. Annie finds herself dangerously close to sticking her tongue out in disgust. 

“And she’s really sorry about the things she said back in high school.”

“I am, Annie, I really am.” 

She is almost _physically incapable_ of believing her.

Anthony nods, “She wants to patch things up before the wedding, if you’d like that.” 

Annie crosses her arms, eyes darting from her brother to his fiancée just waiting for them to shed their human skin and reveal their lizard forms. When they don’t, she realizes that she’s the only one of the four of them that is even remotely tense. In fact, Anthony and Amanda both look very sincere, so much so that it turns some of Annie’s fury into genuine confusion. The Amanda from her nightmares would be gloating right now. She’d be sticking maxi pads on the back of her skirt and leaving fake love letters from Caleb Grant in her locker. 

But the Amanda in front of her right now just looks sorry, and Annie doesn’t know what to make of it. 

“I understand if you don’t want to, Annie, but I’d really like to help us both heal. You know, since we’re going to be sisters and all…” Amanda doesn’t care about Jeff’s body language; she barges into Annie’s personal space and puts her hands right on Annie’s shoulders.

The tiny part of Annie that’s still stuck in high school wants to recoil from the touch, but she fights it. Greendale Annie would look past this, and she would try to forgive and forget. 

“Amanda… it’s all truly water under the bridge,” she gets out, after sucking in a shallow breath. 

Amanda’s face lights up, and Annie forces a small smile of her own, trying her best to not grimace by mistake. Mostly, she’s saying this because she doesn’t think she can sit through a relationship-mending lunch where they recount high school experiences and talk about their feelings. However, she’s also saying this because she wants it to be true.

“Really?” Amanda squeals, squeezing Annie’s shoulders. Annie nods determinedly, pushing all her memories down and away.

“Really.”

~~~~

By the time they make it up to their suite, Annie is genuinely exhausted. She immediately flops down on her bed, waiting to see if the tears come or not. Usually she doesn’t have much control over that aspect of her body, but it seems that her tear ducts are tired, too, which she’s thankful for. 

It briefly comes to mind that she promised Jeff they would go out bowling tonight, but he seems to read her well enough to know she’s just not up for it anymore. Annie rolls over onto her back to look at him and finds that he’s already staring at her, his eyes narrowed in what she hopes is concern and not some form of misguided pity. She’s had enough pity from enough people to last her a lifetime and she doesn’t need any more right now, least of all from Jeff.

“What are you staring at?”

Jeff shrugs, the look in his eyes fading back into nonchalance. “Just trying to figure out how to convince you to give me that bed.” 

It makes her smile, she’ll give him that, but she chucks a pillow at him anyway. He catches it, smirks, and Annie wrinkles her nose at him. 

“I’m guessing that’s a no?” 

She laughs at that, pushing herself off the bed and into the walk-in closet to get her pajamas. She’s going to turn in before Jeff makes her forget that she’s tired, and that whole process begins with a nice, hot shower. 

“You won’t be able to keep the bed if you’re not on it,” he calls, once she’s in the bathroom. 

She pokes her head out of the gap between the door and doorframe, catching his gaze dead-on. “Don’t touch my cloud or I’ll flush your shampoo down the toilet.”

She doesn’t wait to see his reaction before shutting the door, but she’s almost certain she hears a laugh and the sound of air letting out of the comforter as Jeff falls onto the bed.

~~~~

It’s a thirty minute shower that relieves her of her troubles and breathes life into her anew.

Well, not really.

Mostly she finishes with prune-y fingers and a tiny feeling of guilt at contributing so heavily to the water crisis. She’s still tired, which is mostly good, because that means she doesn’t have to go out, but there’s not much else she feels besides that. Feeling nothing is too far from her normal self for her to find any solace in it, though, and the fact that it only took seeing Amanda for her to get this way is nearly infuriating. 

“Are you done in there?”

Jeff sounds bored, and it reminds Annie that scrutinizing the bags under her eyes and feeling sorry for herself isn’t exactly the best use of her time. She’s still in a towel, so she dries herself off entirely and changes into her pajamas, a blue cotton tank top and shorts. She hesitates for a moment before opening the door, and then tugs a bit at her shorts, for modesty’s sake. It’s warm, which is why she brought these. It’s late May and it’s uncharacteristically warm, what can she say. 

“Sorry I took so long. What time is it?” She rubs at her hair with the towel, standing at the foot of her bed where Jeff is lying down and staring at the ceiling. He languidly brings his arm up to glance at his watch. 

“Seven.”

Annie hums, and Jeff sits up, finally looking at her. He seems to take all of her in rather slowly and Annie again feels self-conscious about the positioning of the clothes on her body, even though she has no _real_ reason to be and Jeff should maybe say something before—

“…Are you hungry?”

It’s not what she expected to hear, definitely. But she shakes it off.

(She’s not sure _what_ she expected to hear)

She continues drying her hair, her head tipped to the side, considering his question. She is kind of hungry, actually. Maybe the emptiness she felt earlier was literal emptiness.

“I could go for some room service, yeah.” 

Jeff nods, looking away from her, and trades places with Annie, lifting up the cover so she can sit on the sheets. 

“You can call while I’m in the shower,” he instructs, turning to go get his pajamas. Annie huffs out a laugh and purses her lips, resting the towel on her lap. 

“Funny, for a second I thought you were offering to do it yourself.” He gives her a coy shrug and a smile.

“You owe me for those thirty minutes I just spent staring at the ceiling, so no.” 

Annie balls up her towel and throws it at him, hitting him square in the chest. She probably shouldn’t make a habit of throwing things at him, but he’s half the problem, for making a habit of catching them. 

“I’d like a salad, please.” He places his order with a grin and retreats into the bathroom, leaving a crack just wide enough for Annie to see him hang her towel on the rack and subsequently lift his shirt over his head. Annie feels a blush creeping onto her cheeks, trying to look anywhere but at his chest. She should probably really warn him before he takes off his pants. 

She opts instead for diving face-first into her pillows. The door clicks shut as she hits them, and relieved, she reaches for the phone on the bedside table with her face still hot and buried in Egyptian cotton. 

~~~~~

They end up eating their salads cross-legged on the bed, after Annie assembles a protective shield of blankets, plastic coverings and room service trays to avoid any mishaps. The TV playing overhead is muffled by their discussions about what constitutes real music and whether or not Liam Neeson is still relevant. 

When they finish, Jeff leaves the plates outside the room and goes to brush his teeth, while Annie grabs a couple of blankets and pillows and spruces up the couch as best she can for him. She figures it’s the least she can do considering the bed is all hers (even though he brought that on himself).

From 8:00 to 10:00 they watch a movie together, Jeff from the couch and Annie from her makeshift throne among the many fluffy pillows on her bed, taking turns with generous commentary. She’s never spent this much time alone with Jeff, and she doesn’t know if it’s weird to say she’s surprised that they’re getting along so well. They’ve been friends for six years, haven’t they? It shouldn’t come as a shock that they can spend a whole day together without getting in each other’s faces, but she’s kind of proud of them all the same. If she had to akin the feeling to something, she’d say it’s like passing a test that you didn’t study for.

Not that she knows what _that_ feels like, but she supposes it includes a happy thrill and a whole lot of relief.

As the credits roll, she sneaks a glance his way, and it’s quiet and peaceful the way the screen is reflected on his forehead.

She giggles, and shuts off the TV when he turns to look at her, leaving the room in sudden darkness. 

“Why’d you laugh?”

“No reason,” she smiles, even though he can’t see. 

He makes a sound like he wants to push for an explanation, but instead Annie only hears some shuffling as he rearranges his pillows and stretches out on the couch. Annie imagines his feet hanging over the edge and she settles on her left side, facing him. Her eyes are growing more accustomed to the dark and she’s able to make out his silhouette, focusing on it as she counts her breaths. The breath counting is usually something that happens after particularly stressful days, she’s noticed. Sometimes it’s involuntary. 

Jeff moves, bringing an arm up and under his head. “How are you feeling?” He asks, his voice quiet. 

The question catches Annie off-guard, but the effects are quick once it sinks in; it hits a strange chord in her chest, slowing down her breathing and leaving her a little dazed.

“I’m fine,” she says, her voice unsteady. Her eyes are wide open, fixed on a lamp on her nightstand. She’s considering whether it was a good idea for Jeff to bring this up.

“Are you sure?”

He’s sweet for insisting, Annie thinks, distractedly. He doesn’t have to talk about this with her, but he’s trying. She doesn’t particularly _want_ to talk about this with anyone, but she knows she really should, and he’s giving her the chance. 

“Seeing Amanda wasn’t the best thing that could’ve happened to me today,” she admits hoarsely, her eyes shut. Her lips part with the promise of more words, but she hesitates, playing with a loose thread from the bed sheets. Jeff doesn’t say anything, and then it’s only seconds before everything tumbles out of her.

“She used to torture me in high school, you know. Everything you’ve ever seen a bully do in every teen movie she did to me, and when those ran out she’d come up with new ones, every day just— every day there was something new for me to hide from or cry about. And it wasn’t just her; it was her friends, or her boyfriend of the week and his friends that picked on me like I was _nothing_. You don’t know what it feels like to spend four years of your life alone, Jeff... I saw her today standing next to my little brother, both of them looking so _happy_ , and all I could think was _how could he do this to me? Is she with him to spite me?”_

Annie huffs out a sour bit of laughter at how vain that sounds, and rolls over to lie on her back. It’s a miracle she’s not crying, but her throat is sore from the emotion and it’s hard to speak above a whisper. 

“…I kind of hate myself for thinking of my brother that way, like it’s so weird that someone could be in love with him.” She means it; by all means it was terrible of her. “I know he’s a great guy… a little weird but definitely a great guy. He’s different, but I know it’s still him and he looks happy. They both look genuinely happy and none of it has to do with me. Which is how it should be.”

She sniffles, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. She feels very tired again all of a sudden. 

“So that’s what was happening in my head,” she breathes, trying to drive her tone to a lighter place for her own sake. “Seeing her just… made me angry.”

It’s a simplified explanation, but that’s all that she wants to give right now, and it’s enough. Her eyes are dry and her face is no longer hot with emotion. She’s staring into the dark but it’s not with melancholy, and her chest feels less compressed than before. 

She sighs, and hears Jeff stir. 

“I get it.” It comes out in a breath, but there’s firmness to it.

Annie’s not quite sure she knows what he means, even though his words are clear. Her mind's probably still hazy from her monologue. 

“What do you get, exactly?” 

“Your whole… experience.”

A bitter puff of laughter works its way out of her and fills the space between them. She instantly regrets it, more so when Jeff doesn’t make a sound in response. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t—I just find that hard to believe.” Her tone is apologetic, but she still doubts Jeff understands what he’s saying. He can’t seriously be comparing their high school experiences; he’s _Jeff Winger_. “You know I had it _bad_.”

“Oh yeah, definitely.” It’s a blunt, biting reply and Annie nearly turns her nose up at it, before she realizes she probably hurt his feelings with that douche-y laugh and he’s just returning the favor. 

“You had it way worse, no doubt.” He sighs, not sounding sarcastic anymore. Annie decides to just shut up and listen to whatever he has to say, no judgments passed, and relaxes onto her left side again to look at him. She can make out the shape of his arms, his elbows sticking out as he lays the back of his head on his hands, and she can just barely distinguish the curve of his nose as he turns his head to the left and stares into the dark. 

“I just wanted to tell you… that I know what it feels like to not have anyone.” 

Annie frowns.

“At least in high school.” 

She’s still frowning, but Jeff doesn’t sound sad, exactly. He sounds more nostalgic than anything, but his voice is quiet and it makes him seem unsure. “What do you mean?”

“You know, bullying, too. That stuff… not like you, of course, but I—I had my problems.”

Her expression softens at his tone. He sounds almost embarrassed to be admitting he had problems, which is ridiculous. Annie scoots closer to the edge of her bed, moving as much as the space allows without completely falling off, getting as close to Jeff as possible. “What happened?” 

“Freshman year I was—and don’t laugh at this—”

She smiles, amused.

“I was pretty nerdy. If you can believe it.”

To be honest, the image does make her want to laugh _a little_ , but she doesn’t. “How so?”

“Oh, comic books, mostly. That kind of nerdy,” He chuckles, barely.

“What happened to not laughing?”

“That only applies to you."

Fair point. 

She sighs inwardly, tucking her pillow further into the crook of her neck. “Whatever, tell me more.”

“Well… you’ve seen the movies: nerd gets bullied the entirety of freshman year, nerd gets a summer job, buys a few weights, some new clothes and a decent haircut and suddenly school becomes tolerable. _Not_ -nerd gets popular, starts bullshitting his way through classes and by graduation you’ve got _the_ Jeff Winger that you all know and love.”

Annie frowns at his neutral tone. He shares his story like it’s someone else’s, telling it light and sarcastic, and she understands that’s how he copes. But she knows that's not how it should work.

“The Jeff Winger that I—we know and love, or the Jeff Winger that downloaded his law degree off the internet?” she murmurs.

“…The second one,” Jeff says. He turns his head back to look up at the ceiling and sighs. Annie sighs, too, reflectively.

“The point is, Annie, I didn’t have any real friends back then. Not like you guys. I know what lonely feels like. You can trust me.”

She grins into her pillow, successfully muting a laugh but failing to snuff out the warmth in her cheeks. Sweet Jeff is equal parts adorable and amusing, and she considers turning the light on just to look at him in the face and tell him what a big sap he is, but that would most definitely backfire and he’d probably act like he didn’t know her for the rest of the weekend if she said that. 

She tucks her hand into the pillowcase, turning her face back his way. 

“I do trust you,” she says. 

“…Good.”

She picks her voice up. “Thank you for sharing with me.” _Thank you for cheering me up._

“Thank you for listening.”

“…I’m sorry we didn’t go bowling tonight.”

He laughs, and Annie is suddenly very grateful that he’s here, it’s almost overwhelming. “We can go another time,” she insists.

“Yes, okay.” She can’t see his face, but she imagines he’s smiling. “I think we should sleep now.”

She starts to yawn, as if on cue. “I think… I agree.” She rolls onto her right side, searching for a cool spot to settle into. She hears Jeff move around, too, and maybe starts feeling a little guilty that he’s on the couch, but that disappears once she finds a cold-enough spot on the bed. She fluffs up her pillow and curls in, her eyelids already beginning to flutter. 

“Goodnight, Jeff,” she sighs. She makes a mental note to get him a really nice thank-you gift by the time this is all over.

“’Night, Annie… Sleep tight.” 


	3. reunited and it feels alright

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A dinner, a lunch, and a dinner in that order. Changed perceptions and pre-conceptions, and Annie gets a present. Jeff gets one, too. 
> 
> An 11,000 word beast of happenings.

Annie doesn’t wake up to the alarm she set for 8:30, or to the one she set for 9:00. Instead, her eyes flicker open and then immediately close to the sunlight shining in through the windows, hitting her in the face.  


She rolls over to try to get away from the glare and maybe drift off again, but it’s useless; the sun is everywhere and now she’s too pissed to go back to sleep. She is still for a minute, staring blankly at the door of the hotel room. Then with a groan, she slowly pushes herself up on all fours and stares down at her pillow, contemplating life.  


There’s no drool, she observes distractedly, which is a pleasant surprise.  


The sun is way too strong for it to be 9:00, so she reaches over for her phone on the night table, hoping to find that it’s at _most_ 10:00 and that some of her schedule for the day is still salvageable. She hangs her head in shame when she sees that it’s actually 11:00 in the morning and she completely missed her programmed time for breakfast and her workout. She pouts at her pillow, dropping the phone so it slides down the sheets to her knees. She’s wasted three hours, missed her full potential, and now her day is invalid. The only thing left to do is mope until Jeff wakes up and tells her to move so the maids can clean the room or something.  


Her eyes narrow at the thought of Jeff and the fact that she can’t feel him in the room with her; he should’ve been up by now, too. Lifting her head, she finally notices the sound of the shower running behind her, followed closely by the sound of the shower turning off.  


Annie flips over to sit, her eyes locked on the bathroom in front of her. The scenarios automatically start running through her head of what it will be like when that door opens. Will Jeff come out fully…clothed? Or will he come out in a towel because he thinks she’s till sleeping? What if he expects to find her sleeping and then drops his towel in surprise? Her cheeks redden at the memory of the last time she saw Jeff naked, though the details are hazy.  


(Which is probably for the best, honestly)  


She quickly checks herself and slides her legs off the bed so she can at least try to get her half-day started, dropping the last couple of inches to the floor and putting on her slippers. She’s leaning back against the bed and lazily playing with her hair when she hears the door open and a subsequent thud.  


“Oh, you’re awake.” She turns to look at him, responding to the surprise in his voice with wide-eyed curiosity. He’s shirtless, definitely, but he’s wearing pants. Is she relieved or disappointed? Oh, who cares? Annie quickly brings her attention back to her hair.  


“Hi.”  


“Hey… good morning.” Her brows furrow at his cautious tone. Suddenly she remembers that she’s still in pajamas and he’s already showered and probably eaten breakfast without her and something inside her bubbles. She pushes herself into motion and whips her head around to face him.

“Why didn’t you wake me up when my alarm went off?” She shifts her body his way, her right arm steadily stretched behind her for support. An apt degree of annoyance comes out in her voice.  


Jeff just gapes at her, looking a bit confused. Or maybe looking like the answer to her question is obvious and he’s wondering why it hasn’t occurred to her. “I just figured you needed your sleep,” he offers. He rubs his hair with a small towel, maintaining eye contact. “We had kind of a heavy talk, you know.”  


Annie frowns. She was having a pretty decent time until the sun decided to assault her, that’s true. Their talk the night before left her feeling satisfied but exhausted and a good sleep was definitely what she needed, even if her schedule is off by three hours now.  


“Well, you should’ve at least woken me up for breakfast,” she mutters, tracing a circle on the carpet with her slippers.  


“Oh, I haven’t had breakfast yet. I just came back from the gym.” He tosses his tiny towel somewhere back in the bathroom and crosses over to the closet to grab a shirt. He looks at her a little apologetically as he slips it on but when his head pops out he looks happy, or excited about something. Annie watches him warily, but a smile creeps on her face anyway.  


“It’s my turn to order room service now; you should shower,” he smiles tentatively. He seems a little nervous, which is weird. He doesn’t have the greatest track record of being “smooth ladies’ man Jeff Winger” with her but it’s still strange to see him even remotely anxious. Annie narrows her eyes at him and cocks her head coyly, then approaches the closet to get her clothes. She stops next to him, pointedly avoiding his gaze. It’s almost a full minute of silent sifting through her clothes before she speaks.  


“Ok, you’re forgiven.” She smirks and pulls out a cute sundress especially chosen for the rehearsal dinner they’ll be having at 2:00, meaning that if she showers in fifteen minutes she’ll have exactly thirty minutes to eat breakfast and then an hour and approximately five or ten minutes to do her makeup and hair and motivational speech in the mirror. She considers all this with pursed lips while Jeff stares at her.  


(Why is he staring at her? Doesn’t he have anything else to do like fix the couch or rearrange some blankets or whatever?)  


Annie turns to look at him, an eyebrow raised, and he’s got the same expression on his face. “Oh, yeah,” she realizes, wide-eyed. “I’ll have the… eggs. Something with eggs and toast? Just get me whatever you’re ordering, thank you. Thanks, Jeff.” She grins and runs into the bathroom, nearly tripping on her backpack she had left by the door.  


(Yesterday must’ve been a really off day for her to just leave her backpack on the floor…)  


She shuts the door behind her and notices the fresh soap and towels Jeff probably arranged for her lying on the towel basket. She smiles, hanging her sundress on a hook. With a few extra details here and there Jeff would really make a great maid.  


~~~~~~

She’s out of the shower faster than she calculated, but by the smell of the room it seems breakfast beat her to the punch. She steps out of the bathroom in her slippers and dress, her hair held up by a large clip, trying not to focus on how much of a mess her unmade bed looks or how she must compare with absolutely no makeup on and her hair still dripping.  


Jeff is waiting for her at the small table by the open window, already set for breakfast. If you ignore the blankets and pillows scattered on the floor around them, it actually looks kind of cute, she thinks. Romantic, even, if she goes that far. But she never goes that far anymore.  


“Hey, everything’s set. I ordered you the omelet special, since you wanted eggs. I think the special part is that it comes with bread. Also, there are either tomatoes or peppers in it, I can’t tell.” He’s disinterested, mostly, softly drumming his fingers on the wooden surface of the table, but something about his tone sounds eager-to-please.  


Annie smiles; it’s adorable, yet almost strange, how nice Jeff has been this whole trip so far. He’s being extra cautious, too, which can be endearing at times, but she’s not sure she likes that part much. Awkward Jeff usually isn’t fun. She tightens the clip holding her hair up, feeling it start to slip, but she doesn’t move toward the table just yet.  


(A really big part of her expects Jeff to stand and pull out her chair for her, as etiquette would dictate.)  


Jeff watches her with a thoughtful expression, one arm tossed over the back of his chair. Then he softly kicks at her seat from under the table and it scoots back just enough for her to sit. He smiles at her, content.  


“Thanks,” Annie scoffs, plopping down with equally as much grace. Two can play at the “I don’t care” game, she thinks, taking a moment to look out the window. Presentation doesn’t matter until 2:00 pm, when she’ll have to mingle with her mother and father and their respective new spouses. She’ll fake a few laughs, shake a lot of hands, probably give out some awkward hugs. Most definitely she’ll have to explain Jeff’s presence at least a dozen times, which she’s _not_ excited about. She glances at him then, her chin resting on her hand.  


There he is, eating his boiled eggs and layering ham on his bagel. How simple he looks, so unassuming. Annie almost sighs at the look of it all, knowing his future. Soon he’ll walk into the most stressful rehearsal dinner of his life, having to explain to thirty strangers why he’s so _old_ compared to Annie or who he is to her or what his job is. It’s going to be hell for them both, she knows. She’s not panicking yet but she’s still got an hour and forty five minutes to start.  


“Your fork is right there.”  


Jeff’s studying the far-off look in her eyes with raised eyebrows; or at least that’s what she assumes is happening on her face. She might just look like a toddler with her mouth hanging open or something. Her stomach growls impatiently and it’s probably best to stop speculating and eat.  


“Sorry, I was just thinking.” She takes a bite of her fluffy, lightly toasted bread.  


“About the way the sunlight hits my eyes?”  


Annie barely stops herself from choking, instead just blindly swatting anywhere in Jeff’s direction. She brings a hand up to her mouth and laughs, “No, you idiot.”  


She doesn’t have to look at him to know he’s grinning like a jackass, which is good because she can’t take her eyes off her plate or she’ll probably spit everywhere.  


“Is it your parents?”  


Annie sobers up very quickly at the mention of them, bringing a napkin to her mouth and just holding it there for composure. Jeff has really been picking _great_ times to be considerate these last two days.  


“Umm, honestly… a little, yes.” She sucks in a shallow breath through her nose, cutting into her omelet. There’s no harm in admitting she’s nervous. Everyone knows she’s had problems with her parents; but they mostly just assume it’s a past thing when it is in fact still very much _present_.  


“But you’ve talked to them, right? So… no problem,” he ventures, biting down on his bagel.  


“Oh yeah, totally,” She shrugs her shoulders like it’s no big deal, making a face like she didn’t just blatantly lie. Annie steals a glance his way but he’s thankfully not even looking at her, instead poking at a strawberry on his plate. It’s hardly a problem that she hasn’t talked to her parents, anyway; that’s what this rehearsal dinner is for.  


“Yeah, so it’s no problem,” she affirms, closing her mouth around her fork. She hums contentedly at the taste.  


“Good,” Jeff nods, pursing his lips. He doesn’t say anything more, just takes another bite of his bagel.  


Annie doesn’t say anything either. It’s best to devote her attention to her food now. Though maybe there’s one last thing she should bring up before they finish. She blinks at Jeff, chewing slowly.  


“…These are tomatoes.”  


Jeff smiles faintly.  


“Not peppers.”  


~~~~~~

The sun shines brightly above them as they stroll toward the huge white tent in the middle of ‘Lily Maven’ Park, one of the resort’s many. They passed by it yesterday while exploring the grounds, though there was nothing compelling about it enough for them to have checked it out completely, until now that is. Now it’s the place of Anthony’s wedding rehearsal/reception and more urgently, the setting of Annie’s reunion with her parents.  


There’s a pleasant breeze flowing around and in the small space between them as they make their way. Annie isn’t sure whether to loop her arm through Jeff’s, and he doesn’t make a move to take her hand, either, so they just walk amiably a few inches apart. Jeff is a very handsome friend, so she wouldn’t want people to assume anything that isn’t true by seeing them walk in together so closely.  


She’s already thought about what this weekend could’ve been if they had pretended; the wedding trope is one she’s very familiar with, and she’ll admit, she was initially tempted when it turned out that Jeff was the last person left to be her plus one. But it was a stupid thought, and it’s not why she brought him, ultimately. Her need for backup outweighs dumb fantasy, and Jeff so far has gone above and beyond in terms of emotional support, surprisingly enough. Besides, how terrible would it have felt if he had turned her down? That wasn’t a risk she was willing to take before seeing her parents.  


She glances at him as they approach the tent’s opening, until the knots in her stomach tighten too forcefully to ignore. She looks away and takes a deep breath, willing herself to focus elsewhere. Hydrangeas cling delicately to the lavender drapes bordering the tent, so she lets herself admire those will she deflects. Jeff grazes her shoulder as they cross the threshold.  


The first person to greet them is not anyone Annie knows. The woman is lively for her middle-age, bouncing with easy energy and has no problem grasping Annie’s hand and giving it a series of quick two-handed shakes.  


“Hello! My name is Diane, I’m the wedding planner. It’s a pleasure to meet you…”  


“Annie.” Annie grins, her hands still bobbing underneath Diane’s. “Annie Edison, the sister.”  


“Oh, lovely. You see, that’s what I thought, you look so like your brother. Plus, I’m _excellent_ with faces,” Diane nods intently and tight-lipped, like she’s letting them in on her greatest poorly-kept secret. “You Edison’s are a good looking bunch!” She playfully smacks Annie’s bare shoulder, which Annie won’t lie, feels very strange to be on the receiving end of, and laughs, flashing a set of perfectly white teeth.  


Jeff steps in, commanding the space and flashing a smile. “Hello, Diane, Jeff Winger. Not an Edison but I hope you’ll find my face agreeable all the same.” He’s clearly getting a kick out of Diane’s effervescence, Annie observes, catching the amused glint in his eyes as he delicately takes her hand.  


“Oh, how charming,” Diane giggles, very close to blushing. Annie smirks openly but stops herself from rolling her eyes. “You keep this one, young lady,” she winks, letting go of Jeff’s hands and speaking before Annie even gets a chance to correct her. “Follow me, I’ll show you where you’ll be sitting for the reception tomorrow.”  


Once Diane turns her back on them Jeff leans into Annie and makes a face like he can’t believe how hilarious this wedding planner is, but Annie shushes him and urges him forward, biting back a smile as she takes his arm. It’s not a long walk to their table given that the floor of the tent isn’t very large; enough to accommodate a moderate amount of guests only, and Annie can safely say she recognizes no one yet.  


Diane leaves them without making introductions, probably distracted by a new guest walking in, and Annie mutely takes in her new table buddies. Jeff speaks, while she just smiles politely and shakes a lot of hands. They’re Anthony and Amanda’s mutual friends; which means they all met at around the same time and got close in those five months Anthony and Amanda dated. Annie still can’t believe how quickly this wedding fell together. It probably shows on her face as she listens to these people talk about her brother like they’ve known him forever. She floats above the conversation, almost, letting Jeff take the reins while she mentally counts down the seconds until her mom pops up behind her and buries her in six years’ worth of harbored rebukes and critiques. Regardless of her rampant anxiety, she’ll have to thank Anthony for going against protocol and seating her separate from their parents for the reception.  


Annie doesn’t spot a single family member for the ten minutes she and Jeff chat at their table. They got here relatively early, she supposes; 1:30 instead of 2:00 as was specified, but the Edison concept of punctuality is hereditary so there’s no real reason for her relatives to not be here, too.  


“Do you want a drink?” Jeff murmurs, turning his head toward her.  


She must’ve been completely zoned out because his question jolts her into a little bounce. He chuckles.  


“Welcome back, finally. We’ve missed you. Drink?”  


She blinks. “Yeah, maybe I need one.”  


He gets up but she grabs his sleeve before he can step away. “Wait, I’ll go with you.”  


Perhaps some leg stretching will let her nerves settle. Jeff wraps his fingers around her wrist and gently lifts her from her seat, leading her to the drinks table. Annie feels her hand enveloped completely in his, looks up at his broad shoulders and wonders if she’ll every get over their height difference.  


“Seems we have a varied collection of white wines to choose from, so… Sauvignon blanc?” Jeff lets go of her hand to reach for a bottle, pursing his lips absentmindedly.  


“That’s fine,” Annie hums, crossing her hands in front of her. Jeff pours for both of them and hands her a glass, leaning back against the table. She takes a sip.  


“Fun fact: I don’t know anything about wine.”  


Annie grins as she brings the glass down from her lips. “Jeff Winger can’t tell a Malbec from a Merlot?”  


Jeff smirks, teasing. “Oh and Annie Edison can?”  


“Shirley had a thing for wine,” Annie shrugs, holding the glass with care. “Britta would join us sometimes, too. Turns out she has a surprisingly sensitive palate. Until she gets wasted insisting tastings are done straight from the bottle, that is.”  


Jeff scoffs, amused. “Sounds like Britta. And girls’ night sounds fun.”  


“Tell Frankie that,” Annie smiles. Jeff chuckles and shakes his head, bracing himself on the table with his free hand. They talk more than they drink, and it’s the easiest thing in the world to just stand next to Jeff and forget the inevitable. They’re onto their second glass of wine when Annie remembers the tiny bottle of scotch in her purse she brought for Jeff. It had been an afterthought during packing, a just-in-case ordeal when she spotted it on her shelf back home, but she dropped it in her bag when she remembered it was Jeff's favorite. She tells him to hold on so she can head back to the table for a second, and he lets her know he'll be looking for a snack over by catering. Annie nods and turns, taking a few steps and stopping just in time to avoid crashing into her parents.  


What Annie notices before she even fully registers the situation is that her mom looks very “Kris Jenner”. It’s not so much in the hair, or the jewelry, and thankfully there’s no obvious cosmetic work on her face, but it’s something in her eyes. They’re blue like Annie’s, except calculating and too observant; judgmental, even. There’s an air of superiority, as well, but not rigid or haughty. It’s easy, so relaxed that it’s intimidating.  


The second thing Annie notices is that her parents, though divorced since she was four, are standing next to each other comfortably with their new respective spouses nowhere in sight. Annie's eyes dart to the right, catching her step-mother and step-father chatting at a table with two other guests. This probably means her parents didn't want to overwhelm her by doubling their numbers, but it's not working. She's overwhelmed in the quietest way, like someone pressing down slowly on a spring, her energy concentrated and contained.  


"Annie..." Her mom smiles tentatively, tilting her head casually to the side like they saw each other just a week ago. Annie struggles to mold her expression into something not quite so terrified, but she doesn't think anything could stop this from feeling extremely awkward.  


"...Hi, mom." That sounds appropriate.  


Her dad brazenly steps in for an embrace. "Oh Annie, it's been so long." It comes out in a whisper, and Annie suddenly wants to cry into her dad's shoulder. She’s actually spoken to him on the phone in the past few years semi-regularly; he offered her money for rent after her mom tried her best to get Annie out of that hole from her first years as an independent adult, and they’ve kept up a hesitant correspondence since. Mostly birthdays and Christmas, or Hanukah when he remembers, but they haven’t hugged since his visiting days when Annie was a teenager.  


She doesn't cry, miraculously, and her mom joins in on the hug.  


"We're very happy to see you, Annie," her mom hesitates. "And so is Anthony; you've seen your brother already, haven't you?" They all break apart.  


Annie looks at her mother, taking a second before answering, "Ye-yeah, I've seen him already. I'm happy I'm here, too. I mean, I wouldn't miss his wedding, would I?"  


She tries to laugh at the end of her sentence, but she just manages to bobble forward with a sad huff and a plastic grin. Her mom's expression is insipidly cheery despite Annie's awkwardness, and it causes Annie to step back into form, crossing her left arm over her ribs, defensive. She balances her right elbow on her closed fist, holding her wine glass to her lips in a positively snobbish look so familiar to the suburbs she grew up in. Right then, detecting her mom's lack of intent to touch on the past or even wear a bit of guilt on her face, Annie decides this is a battle. Simply, if she doesn't have the decency to at least be awkward about the terrible things she's done, Annie won't apologize for staying out of touch for six years. May the most stubborn win.  


Her dad clears his throat and smiles at her.  


“Yes, it’s a wonder Anthony is getting married, and so quickly. Not to brag but I didn’t think we could pull this off in two months, but just look at this place! Beautiful, isn’t it?"  


It is beautiful, and very elaborate for a two month planning period. Annie inadvertently frowns at the passing wait staff and twinkle lights lining the ceiling. "Very beautiful. Guess it's doable in two months when you leave sending out your invitations until a week before the wedding."  


Her dad looks confused. "Well that's not-"  


Annie's mom gives a disingenuous laugh, cutting off her ex-husband. "You know how Anthony is. Amanda's a wonderful girl but not even she can fix his absent-mindedness. We had the invitations prepared as soon as they came to us with the news of their engagement; he probably forgot to send them out sooner. Or yours got to you late." She takes a sip of her own wine.  


"Yeah, I’m not sure that’s what happened," Annie drawls, the gears churning. "I live an hour away." Her eyes narrow just slightly. "And now that I think about it how on earth did you manage to book this place two months before the date?"  


"Annie, it's just-" her mother huffs, a bit annoyed. Annie leans away warily, eyes narrowing further. "Your step-father, Robert, is a member here. A good friend of the owner's, in fact. And I've always been prolific, you know that." The mention of Robert is accusatory; Annie doesn't know him well and her mother probably faults her for that. He showed up at around the same time Annie started abusing the pills. The prolific comment is what gets at her, though, since she's so familiar with what it implies. Her mom definitely had her methods.  


"And well, it-it may have been a little more than two months," says Mr. Edison. He wants to appear relaxed, but the crinkle in his forehead denotes otherwise. Annie doesn’t know what to do. Her mom is obviously not telling her something, and her dad seems to know as little she does, even if he insists on following along. Annie doesn’t let herself blatantly frown; instead she tilts her chin up, enough to be significant at least to herself. This is a problem, a wall, and Annie’s going to scale it. Either that or she’ll blow a hole through it if need be.  


“Oh, I’m sorry if I’m not following," she coos innocently. "All those amphetamines must’ve really left their mark." She tilts her head when she says it, or _sings_ it, more like, just so she can get a rise out of her mom. The shock on her mother’s face goes away just as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a flash of anger and then devolving into a rigid, steely glare. It's a look of unmistakable warning that Annie could recognize from miles away.  


Her father on the other hand looks utterly uncomfortable.  


"I just find it totally _weird_ that you guys managed to do all this for what is basically a shotgun wedding, and then messed up on the invites. On _my_ invite. Because the hotel is already booked and Aunt Mia is sitting right over there." Annie points at her definitively. "And she lives in _Bismarck_."  


"Annie, don't _rant_ ," her mother snaps, irritated. Annie glares at her, indignant. "Not everything is about you. This fluke has nothing to do with _you_ -"  


Jeff bursts in then, with a mini quiche in hand and completely oblivious to the identities of the couple in front of him, visibly excited to share something with only Annie and thus thoroughly ignoring her parents as if they weren't even there. "Annie, you won't believe, I ran into this--"  


"Jeff..." Annie looks up at him with warning, retreating a bit from the way he's leaning into her in his urgency. He looks confused at first until he realizes the tense conversation he walked into, glancing at Annie's mother and father slightly embarrassed and straightening up thereafter. Annie fiddles with the bracelet on her wrist, tight-lipped and serious, deactivated from the fighting mode she had just been in with her mother. Under different circumstances Jeff's presence would've been a godsend, but now there's just the added stress of explaining a 40 year-old plus one to her parents. She clenches her jaws preemptively and dives into the inevitable.  


"This is Jeff, my--"  


"Boyfriend. Hi, Jeff Winger."  


Annie feels herself slowly repeat the word "boyfriend" to no audience, disappearing underneath the surprised ooh's and ahh's coming from her parents as they shake Jeff's hand and make quick introductions. She closes her eyes for less than a second, processing. What on _earth_ could compel him to say that to her _parents?_  


It's a thought she doesn't have time to get angry over, because everyone is smiling and now she has to grin reflectively, too, to keep up the charade, the near outburst from earlier all but forgotten. It hits her then that Jeff still doesn't know these are her parents. He's never seen a recent picture of them and he wouldn't be able to tell from walking into their argument a minute ago because as far as he knew Annie and her parents were on decent terms; too decent to be having tense, awkward reunions.  


She gave him the shovel and he dug the hole, damn it.  


"... Yes, my boyfriend, Jeff. And Elizabeth and Howard, my _parents_." It comes out a little angrier than she intended, but it's important Jeff understands how difficult he just made things for her. He seems to, for a moment, as there's a flash of uneasiness in his eyes, and Annie's parents finally get a good look at his laugh lines. Annie glances at her mom first, always, and her expression is laden with amusement and intrigue, but no overt distaste. Which is weird.  


"What a charming... young man, Annie. How long have you been seeing each other?"  


"Not long, I hope," Howard cuts in, "unless you've been hiding him since the last time we talked." His tone is protective, classically father-like, and relieves some of Annie's worries.  


"Oh, no, dad," she laughs; "we started... dating after Christmas." Jeff and her dad both nod, and she gives Jeff a little nudge because he is not going to leave her improvising alone.  


"Oh, yes, a New Year's party." He drops his mini quiche on a passing waiter's tray and straightens his dress jacket. "Very cliché," he smirks, "but after all that time knowing her I just had to make a move. Countdowns naturally breed that sense of urgency, you know?"  


It's a joke, but Howard raises an eyebrow in question. "Not too urgent, I assume."  


Jeff tenses. "No, sir."  


Annie smiles despite herself. Her mother smiles as well. "And how long have you known each other, then?”  


Jeff doesn't say anything, and Annie's glad he's thinking this answer through. If he tells them "since she was eighteen"... that could come across the wrong way.  


"Well, uh, we've been friends for a long time. Just friends for a very long time. Since..." He seems to be struggling to come up with something, which is a first. A not-very-reassuring first.  


"Six years," Annie pipes up. Jeff quickly turns his head to look at her, not happy. "Since I started Greendale. Since rehab." It's hardly a lie at all, but Jeff was taking too long and it was making her nervous. When the best liar in the world can't come up with a believable story then it's perfectly permissible to panic, as she just so expertly demonstrated. She grins anyway; a resigned, disingenuous fence of gritted teeth.  


Elizabeth looks complacent, nodding minutely at the two of them like she's got them all figured out. It vexes Annie to her core, but she keeps smiling, albeit even less convincingly than before. "I'll be honest, that whole... ordeal with her rehab was something I very much regret not getting her out of."  


For a moment it feels like Annie's teeth will shatter from the sheer force she's applying to keep her mouth shut in front of her mother’s bald-faced lie. Angry heat reaches her cheeks and she chances a glance in her father's direction but he's distracted, looking anywhere but at them.  


"Annie isn't that great at accepting help, unfortunately, but I'm so glad you got to her, Jeff. Thank you."  


To get one thing clear, her mom has never hit her before.  


She was never one for outright abuse, physical or otherwise, in all the years Annie lived with her. No argument ever ended with contact in the Edison household, but Annie learned over the years how the right set of words could feel just like a slap to the face. It’s what she feels right now, hearing her mother discredit years of lonely work and tiring, endless effort. Except now the startling difference is that Annie could not care less.  


"He didn't do anything.”  


She snaps it out, defensive and serious. “I did. I got myself out.” It’s hard not to tack on an insult at the end so she can let her mother really know how she feels, but for the time being she’s still got self-restraint.  


"Oh, well... my mistake." Elizabeth gives a noncommittal reply, but Annie is tired of her attitude.  


"Yeah, one of many."  


Her mother clicks her tongue disapprovingly, cocking her head to the side. "Annie, please..."  


"Shut up."  


_“Annie!”_

“I don’t have to take this from you.” She slams (unintentionally) her wine glass into Jeff’s chest, which he quickly takes even in his shock. Her mom looks disgusted, and her dad looks surprised, and Annie assumes she looks furious. Which is good. “I’m leaving and I don’t want to see you again.”  


“That’d be nice for your brother to hear, wouldn’t it? His sister leaving the day before his wedding?”  


Annie turns and storms off, not bothering to answer. Her dad is useless and her mother is still horrible, but she’ll figure a way around them for Anthony’s sake. Just not right now. Right now she has to get back to her hotel room for some things and take Jeff’s car for a long ride.  


Her sundress whips back and forth against the light breeze as her legs take her farther and farther from the tent, guided by thoughtless impulse as she tries to calm down. In seconds she realizes she didn’t take the way to the golf carts, but delved deeper into the park. She stops and stares at the greenish blue pond water, considering whether to follow the sidewalk and circle it instead of going for an angry cruise in Jeff’s Lexus. With a shake of her head, she starts on her way back to the golf cart parking, until she sees Jeff jog up to her with a frown on his face.  


“What was that about?” he asks, stern. He brushes off his jacket and tries to put his hand on Annie’s wrist but she pulls away.  


“You saw it. My mom’s the devil and she hates me.” She moves past him, resuming her walk back.  


“You should’ve told me you weren’t on speaking terms.”  


“So what, Jeff?” She flips back, crossing her arms. “So my _boyfriend_ could save me?” She’s angry at everything her mother said, did, and probably even thought, and half of it was because of Jeff’s lousy self-introduction. He recoils, eyes darting to the ground. Annie chews on her tongue, waiting for him to reply so they can spar and she can properly give him a piece of her mind.  


“Okay… I get it. I shouldn’t have said that.”  


“Yeah, you shouldn’t have.” She frowns, buzzing with energy. “It was out of nowhere and completely inappropriate.”  


_“Inappropriate?”_ He scoffs, incredulous, and slightly annoyed. “ _You’re_ the one who invited me to a wedding.”  


Annie squints at him, not even bothering to decipher his meaning. In two strides he’s in her face, staring down at her. “Oh please, Annie. We both know the trope.” He bunches up his face just the slightest. “Damn Abed.”  


“I brought you _as a friend_.” She insists, dropping her tone. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knows it’s as much a reminder to her as it is to him. The lines have always been blurry between them, no matter how many times they try to adjust. She’s stopped blaming herself for being affected.  


“The point is, it was stupid to tell my parents we’re dating, and you know that.”  


“It was stupid to lie to me about being cool with them, and you know that.” She frowns, because he’s right in some way; but so is she, and now she’s done talking.  


“Alright. I’m leaving. Don’t follow me back.”  


It would’ve ended one of two ways if she had stayed and argued.  


She uncrosses her arms, finally turns to leave, and Jeff doesn’t follow her back.  


~~~~~~

The text comes in as soon as she opens the door to her room.  


_**Anthony (2:33 pm):** meet me at the café as soon as you can_  


Annie frowns.  


_**Anthony (2:34 pm):** the turing at 3_

That’s better. But still a little too vague for her tastes.  


_**Annie (2:34 pm):** why?_  


_**Anthony (2:35 pm):** we need to talk_  


She blinks at the screen, trying to discern a motive. Now that she thinks about it, she remembers stomping past Anthony in her escape from the rehearsal dinner, him and Amanda and some other guests. He probably already got some sort of explanation from their mother as to why Annie left, biased and inaccurate as it undoubtedly was, and now wants to scold her or whatever for leaving early. Or maybe he just wants a coffee with his sister. She swallows a chuckle at how unlikely that is, drops her phone on the bed and goes to change into something less tainted by confrontation.  


Annie changes into jeans and a t-shirt. It’s the style she reserves for when she doesn’t really care, and she finishes the look with the only pair of converse she owns, rubbing absentmindedly at the smudged rubber point as she stares at the floor.  


She’s got her hand on the door by exactly 2:45 and texts Anthony that she’s on her way, hoping he can make it there quick enough for her to get things over with and get some sleep. Anthony doesn’t make her nervous, and the prospect of airing things out with him is almost relieving, subject matter and all. Something is very true, though: Annie has questions, and no matter what he has to say, he’s going to answer them first.  


~~~~~

Anthony is surprisingly already there by the time she makes it. There are few people in the café, and the soft hum of blenders makes Annie perk up a bit. It’s the calm that steers her movements, and the smell of coffee and muffins that sort of makes her hungry.  


Her brother chose a table for two by the window, and she glides into the space, placing a hand on the chair.  


"Hey."  


"Hi. Sit, please. I like your shirt."  


It's grey and faded, with Disney characters in the center, huddled and smiling. Some sort of propaganda clothing, she’s sure of it; she chuckles and sits.  


“So… I’m guessing you want to talk about what happened in the tent.” She smiles and sighs, letting her posture go a bit. Anthony seems to try to reciprocate but there’s something tense about him nonetheless. Annie brings her arms up on the table, stretching them toward him for some lazy gesticulation. “You probably saw me totally freaking out at mom, watched me leave, and she definitely told you I was being overdramatic, so now you’re here to tell me I was being overdramatic. Am I close?”  


Anthony laughs, looking down at the table. “No, actually.” He shrugs. “Well, I _did_ see that and mom _did_ tell me those things but that’s not what I want to talk about. Are you hungry?”  


“A little.” Anthony waves a waitress over and Annie leans back, remembering the time. “Did the dinner end already?”  


“No,” he replies, “I think they must be halfway through the meal by now.” The waitress stands at attention, a notepad in her hand. “Coffee? Sandwich?” Anthony asks. The concept of turkey on rye makes Annie’s stomach rumble; no surprise, considering breakfast was four hours ago and all she has is white wine sloshing around in there. She and Anthony order and the waitress leaves, promising food in a few minutes.  


“Are you skipping bonding time with the in-laws?”  


“I already know them pretty well.”  


Annie frowns. She shakes her head as her mouth falls open and the words come out high-pitched and skeptical. “Is this some kind of arranged marriage?” Her palm falls flat on the table, a resounding splat of disbelief. “Is that why everything was done so fast?” She’s only half-joking about it, because she’s been harboring this suspicion since she heard about the wedding, but watching Anthony’s smirk grow gives her the feeling it’s not true. What it also gives her is the feeling that she’s not been told everything she needs to know.  


“Explain to me why I got my invitation late.”  


There’s a dramatic flair in the way Anthony’s face drops almost instantly.  


“This is what I called you for, actually.”  


“Cool, so talk.”  


He flashes an irritated glare, probably wanting her to cut him so slack and tone down the attitude, but it only lasts a moment before his expression flickers to contrite and he glances down at the table.  


“You got your invitation late… because mom didn’t want you at the wedding.”  


It’s always funny how what you expect can never hurt as much the real thing. But hurt is overrated and sickeningly familiar; anger is what’s really in these days, as evidenced by the pounding in Annie’s ears and the obscenity bubbling in her throat just begging to explode.  


_“What… the fu--”_  


“Your coffee,” smiles the waitress, sliding it towards Anthony. He nods politely, accepting it.  


“Thank you.”  


“Anthony!”  


Annie’s gaze snaps back and forth between Denise the waitress and her little brother, hastily accepting the sandwich placed in front of her even though her hunger has again completely disappeared. She’s angry! No one should be ignoring her right now! Anthony pulls a face and Denise scurries away with a final worried glance before Annie lets herself gape at her brother in mute, expectant fury.  


He sips his damn coffee.  


“Oh my god, Anthony! So what the hell?!”  


He lifts his hand, attempting to _calm her?_ Does he know _nothing?_ “Annie, I’m really sorry. I know, I know I should’ve told you earlier.” Something snaps inside her, like a jolt running up her spine, and suddenly she doesn’t want to hear anything come out of anyone’s mouth ever again.  


“No, actually, you know what, you shouldn’t have told me at all.” Her head hurts, so she glances out the window, staring out at the stupid ducks on the off-chance they transmit some of their calm to her. A groan bursts through her gritted teeth at the sight of their happy floating and it rattles through her whole body, culminating in arm-shaking that probably makes her look insane. She eventually reins it in, not so much crossing her arms as she is constricting herself to prevent another spasm.  


“Are you… okay?”  


“Don’t ask stupid questions,” she hisses. Anthony surrenders, leaning back in his chair.  


“I get it. I’m an idiot.”  


It’s astounding she still has the capacity to feel empathy, but she does. It manifests itself in a reluctant sigh directed at her sandwich, and then she’s speaking civilly again. “I—it was mom, I know. You don’t—“  


“No.” He insists, firm. “I shouldn’t have listened to her. I should’ve just told her off a month ago when she kept your invite from me. Instead I snuck it your way as soon as things got too busy for her to care.”  


A wave of self-pity washes over Annie at the sound of that. Her mother not even caring enough to keep her out. She gives up, her face falling into her hands. “Why does she hate me so much?”  


“Oh no, Annie, no.” Anthony nearly knocks her shoulder back when he reaches out to comfort her, and Annie mentally stumbles. It’s enough for a reactionary huff of amusement at the awkwardness, and Anthony pulls back with the same concerned intensity to stare at her dead-on. “She doesn’t hate you. This has nothing to do with you as a person at all. You know mom; she just… can’t get over herself. She can’t get over how much _better_ you are without her.”  


He’s so sincere, Annie presses her lips together tight, fearing an outburst. Anthony’s hand easily covers hers. “You know that, right?”  


“Yeah.” Her hand comes off the table to rub delicately at her eyes, maybe rub some of the emotion away. “I just… always jump to the worst, you know. Usually if it involves me.” A couple of wry chuckles chip away at the frog in her throat, because let’s face it, she’s just _that_ selfish sometimes. Anthony grimaces good-naturedly in agreement. “Anyway, yeah, I get it,” she sniffles. “Mom sucks.”  


They both laugh, falling back against their chairs. Anthony smiles at her. “This,” he gestures, “this is why I wanted you to come.” Annie makes an unflattering sound halfway between a purr and a snort and shrugs, smiling. Anthony grins, amused. Something behind Annie catches his eye, and he continues. “We both really wanted you here.”  


Annie turns, following his gaze, and sees Amanda strolling past the door and towards them with an innocent grin on her face. The sound between a groan and a huff isn’t pretty, so Annie tries to fence it in with gritted teeth, resulting in a pitiful wheeze. For all her cutesy smiles and waves, something about Amanda just still doesn’t sit right with her. Is it the grudge she holds? Most likely, yes. But that’s beside the point.  


“Hi, Annie.” Amanda makes a move to lean in for what seems like a kiss on the cheek, but reconsiders at the last second and just smiles right into Annie’s face for a second too long. Annie pulls back, understandably, and gets a sad look in response, but Amanda shakes it off as soon as she pulls a chair over and sits next to Anthony. Annie eyes them both suspiciously.  


“So… were you waiting outside or something?” Her tone is a little biting, a little sarcastic, mostly curious; Amanda did pretty much drop in out of nowhere.  


“Yup,” she answers, chipper, though her nerves are evident. Annie feels a pang of sympathy.  


“Well, I texted her to let her know she should come in.”  


“Yeah, and I had already been waiting around for the text… like outside.” Amanda nods, searching Annie’s face eagerly. Annie purses her lips for the moment she takes to consider everything.  


“So, are you guys here to gang up on me?”  


Anthony cracks a smile and Amanda lights up. “We’re here to tell you everything.”  


~~~~

They do tell her everything. From their first meeting, to their three-month whirlwind of dating and the eventual proposal, culminating in the wedding happening tomorrow after a little over five months of courtship. They tell her how their parents had been pulling for them since they got together, going so far as to pretty much drop everything so they could plan the perfect wedding as soon as Anthony told them the news. They also apologize for not sharing it all with her, but _“we were just so weirdly… estranged it always slipped my mind when we talked on the phone to tell you about Amanda.”_  


_“Also, you’re just naturally spaced-out half the time.”_  


_“True. And then mom came to me with her stupid invitation list. She held it over my head for a while, and I felt like I owed her for all the work she was doing, but I couldn’t keep my wedding from you.”_  


_“Plus I really wanted the chance to apologize. And since I messed it up yesterday I’d like a second chance now.”_  


So Amanda apologized, and she did it well. She really had a way with words when they weren’t vile, and wasn’t half as stupid as Annie always told herself she was. Somewhere along the length of their conversation, Amanda timidly laid her hand on Annie’s, expecting her to recoil. Annie didn’t, and by the end of their talk Annie could safely say that her new sister-in-law wasn’t… completely terrible.  


Taking a bite out of her sandwich, Annie watches her brother wipe at the side of Amanda’s strawberry-stained mouth with delicate attention. She’s never done that before herself; or better put, no one has ever wiped her mouth in quite that way. One time Britta got mustard all over her face and Annie helped clean some of it off but she’s pretty sure that doesn’t count.  


Lost in thought, she keeps her eyes on them for too long and Amanda notices, smiling curiously. Annie almost fidgets; it’ll be a little longer before she starts associating Amanda’s smile with pleasant experiences, but she’ll get there.  


“Where’s Jeff?” The mention of him catches Annie off guard as much as the actual question, because a) they haven’t talked since she essentially called him an idiot and told him to go away and b) she feels terrible because of it, proven by the increasingly annoying thump in her chest. Amanda turns to fully face her, fork scraping lazily across her plate. There’s a coy glint in her eye, and Annie realizes she probably misinterpreted the pensive look on her face from staring at their napkin moment for some kind of lovey-dovey separation anxiety/relationship envy.  


She nearly snorts. Given the circumstances, she and Jeff doing anything together right now couldn’t be farther from the realm of possibility. Plus he would never wipe fruit sauce off Annie’s mouth in public. Or anywhere.  


“I actually… have no idea.” Her shoulders bounce once, and her eyes drift to the window. Jeff didn’t mention where he was going, and Annie definitely wouldn’t have either if someone had shooed her off the way she did to him. She glances at her phone expectantly and just then it vibrates, meeting the light of day half a second later; but it’s only a text from Abed asking how things are going. Annie frowns, letting out a breath. She drags her index finger across the screen, internally debating whether to text Jeff.  


“You okay, Annie?”  


eyebrows go up before her face does, her attention still centered on her phone. Anthony leans forward in slight concern, but Annie brushes it off, tucking her phone back into the band of her jeans as she rises. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she smiles, reaching back to adjust her chair. “But I think I should go now, probably. Check up on Jeff.” Amanda props her chin up on her palm, smiling understandingly. Annie flashes an awkward grin back, stepping away from the table. Her eyes fall on her brother, and he nods, his arm around Amanda. “Yeah so, I’ll be… going. Thank you for everything, lil’ bro.” She tries a wink. He cringes.  


“You too, Amanda.” No wink there, but a genuine, if not tentative, smile. Annie waves at them, turns, and remembers something.  


“Heeey, about tomorrow…” she drawls, sauntering her way back to the table. “I kind of forgot to get you guys a present so if you could just wait like a week…?” Annie’s voice hikes up a bit, inexorably, and Amanda giggles.  


“It’s okay, Annie,” laughs Anthony. “We get it.” Annie smiles, relieved. She starts backing up, making her way out of the café.  


“Thank you! You’ll get something great, I promise!” Annie turns, tossing a small wave over her shoulder. “See you tomorrow!”  


Then, just as she steps over the border, it’s as if she can really feel the weight lifted off her shoulders, and a buzz of adrenalized glee pushes her back into the café, brings her hands up to show two thumbs up, and incites her to yell:  


“ _Congrats on your marriage!_ ” all the way back to where Amanda and Anthony are now beaming with laughter.  


~~~~~~~

It takes Annie two tries before Jeff finally picks up. It’s a little past five and she’s lying on the bed, planning out exactly what she’s going to say once he gets back from wherever he disappeared to, and whether she should apologize first or just wait until he figures it out. That’s when his voice fills her head and reminds her she had been calling in the first place.  


“Jeff? Hello?” She sits up, smoothing down the hair on the back of her head.  


“Hey. You called twice. What’s up?” She hesitates, a little put off. Shouldn’t he be _aware_ of what’s “up”? He instigated the “up”, anyway.  


“Uhh… you left and I have no idea where you are.”  


“I’m outside. I forgot the key thing. Open the door for me?”  


Annie’s brow furrows, her phone drifting away from her ear as she turns toward the door and frowns.  


“Alright,” she says, first into the phone and then out into the hall as she turns the knob to reveal leather jacket clad Jeff with his hands tucked into his pockets. He smiles, tight-lipped and cordial, and saunters in, Annie staring as she moves out of the way.  


There’s a second of silence before she crosses her arms and speaks, Jeff’s back to her.  


“So… where’ve ya been?”  


He turns, shrugs, and begins to slide off his jacket. It’s all too relaxed, and paradoxically makes Annie feel awkward. She shuffles her feet in irritation.  


“With a friend.” He tosses his jacket on the chair by the closet and walks toward the middle of the room. Annie inches forward, keeping the same distance between them. “I ran into an old work buddy at the rehearsal dinner. Turns out he’s Amanda’s third cousin. Or maybe her young uncle. I forgot.”  


He smiles at Annie, probably trying to disarm her, tear down her mental barriers and get her to bring up their argument first. She narrows her eyes at him, saying nothing. He smiles wider.  


“I saw Amanda today,” she offers, stepping closer. “We had coffee, with my brother.”  


Jeff looks surprised, but curious. He steps closer and Annie holds her arms tighter to her.  


“Wow. How’d that go?”  


“It went well. I found out some stuff.”  


She remains vague because this is the game they’re playing right now and she’s not planning on losing it. The only bad thing is Jeff knows that, too.  


“That’s good. Stuff is always interesting,” he smiles, cocky. Cocky? Annie nearly grimaces. He’s so… charmingly annoying sometimes. Annoyingly charming. Or stupidly stupid. He’s still grinning about it, so Annie decides maybe the more direct approach is the best.  


Though it’s not much of a decision considering her irritation has effectively overpowered her judgment.  


“Let’s just apologize and get this over with. Your pointy-smirk face is infuriating right now.”  


He laughs, of course, and Annie lets her arms loose, uncrossing them to convey a more confident body language that will hopefully intimidate him. He steps even closer to her though, and there goes _that_ idea.  


“Apologize? We already had our… talk.” Jeff’s still smirking at her, but something about his expression reads as concerned. Maybe just an inkling of uncertainty in the way his eyes are searching her face.  


“We had an argument that stayed unresolved because you were very dramatic about the whole thing,” Annie chides. She can’t really stop her eyes from darting away every half second, tearing her gaze from Jeff’s unsatisfied raised eyebrow and overall unimpressed features. It takes away from the air of superiority she wants to establish.  


“ _We_ were dramatic,” she concedes, after a couple of seconds.  


Jeff nods.  


“I was understandably very worried!” She bursts, though her tone is determinedly less austere. They were serious enough by the lake, and that can easily get exhausting. Emotionally and physically, considering how she has to crane her neck back most of the time for the appropriate level of eye contact.  


Jeff stammers almost imperceptibly, and starts gesticulating even before he gets any words out.  


“I was worried, too! For you!”  


Annie leans back, squinting at him. He looks slightly uncomfortable at the change of pace he caused, and runs a hand through his hair rather impulsively.  


“How… were you worried?”  


“You kept talking about your parents like it was all good between you three but did a pretty crappy job of hiding your nerves about seeing them again.” Jeff sighs, glancing at Annie tentatively. “And I’m obviously not an idiot. I can tell when you’re being weird.”  


“So you… decided that when you met them, you would introduce yourself as my boyfriend.”  


“Yeah,” he scoffs wryly, embarrassed. Annie feels a pang of compassion, tilting her head to catch Jeff’s gaze again. He looks at her and smirks the tiniest bit.  


“I thought it would stop them from picking on you if you had me as your boyfriend, you know. With a face like mine…”  


Annie chuckles. “Of course.”  


Jeff grins again, really for her this time instead of just to piss her off, and sticks a hand in his pocket, fishing out a bracelet. From Annie’s vantage point at a foot away, she clearly discerns a stainless steel dolphin charm swinging from the joint where the tiny ring that holds it meets the light blue tinted metal of the actual bracelet. She looks at Jeff as he delicately drops the bracelet onto her outstretched palm, then nonchalantly reaches back to scratch the nape of his neck and give her a face like “eh, here you go”.  


“What’s this for?” she giggles, her eyes flickering from the shiny metal dolphin to Jeff. She takes it in her fingers and twirls it, playing around with the surprisingly bendy steel of the bracelet.  


“My friend and I, Amanda’s cousin-uncle, we left the resort for a couple of hours to go to a mall nearby and catch up. I, uh, passed by a jeweler’s and thought you could… give this to Amanda as a fill-in wedding present or something.”  


Annie’s eyes fall to the dolphin, her fingers slowly lowering it to rest on her palm again. “Oh.” From a glint, she notices the tiny diamonds adorning the dolphin tail and frowns despite herself.  


“…Or I guess you could keep it. If you want.”  


She glances up, her fingers eagerly closing around the charm before he even finishes his sentence. Jeff laughs and Annie blushes.  


“Oh come on, it’s not like this little thing could be enough for a wedding present,” she parries, holding the bracelet close.  


“No,” Jeff chuckles, “which is why it was a _fill-in_ , you little dolphin thief.”  


Annie gasps at that, out of habit, and with a grin on her face shoves her way past Jeff to get to the couch.  


“You totally thought about giving it to me first, though,” she teases, grabbing her purse and checking its contents.  


“Maybe,” says Jeff, and she can feel his eyes on her, sense the trace of a smile. Satisfied, she puts on the bracelet and swings the purse onto her shoulder.  


“Where are we going?” asks Jeff, turning to follow her as she struts toward the door, dolphin charm swinging from her left wrist.  


“To explore a bit,” she responds, holding the door open for him. “Maybe go bowling, or get an evening facial in preparation for tomorrow.” He smiles, keeping pace with her as they walk down the hall. Annie just keeps her eyes looking straight ahead, content. “Dinner, probably. I’ll put it on my parents’ tab.”  


“I hope there’s filet mignon wherever we’re going,” he offers, pressing the elevator button.  


Annie laughs. “Can’t go anywhere too fancy. I’m wearing a Disney t-shirt.”  


“Who cares?” Jeff says, as Annie steps through the doors. She frowns, tilting her head to the side because obviously, a faded t-shirt and jeans are not filet mignon attire.  


“You look great, anyway,” he adds, his arm touching her shoulder. Annie smiles bashfully, a common side-effect of compliments. “Plus, I…”  


Annie rolls her eyes, already hearing the words about to come out of his mouth. “Look great enough for the both of us, yeah, I get it.”  


Jeff chuckles, glancing down at her with a smirk. “Not what I was gonna say, but thank you.”  


~~~~~~

Surpassing all expectations, they completely lose track of time. Somewhere between bowling and the subsequent dinner of chicken burgers and sweet potato fries Annie cannot bring herself to check her watch. It becomes even more of a lost cause when Jeff pulls her into a solitary golf cart at sunset and speeds them off across the freshly groomed golf lawns, stopping at an abandoned gazebo by a pond he claimed to have found earlier that day.  


The overgrown vines are in just the right balance so that they look intentional, and the sporadic blooms of tiny pink flowers paint a pattern like a constellation across the woodwork. They hang out there, watching the sun stain the water orange as it descends past the hills. Jeff offers to take a picture of her, and pretends to drop her phone into the water, almost as if he likes getting his shoulder smacked repeatedly by a woman two-thirds his height. For the last few seconds of sunlight after that, though, they just lean into each other, taking in the sight.  


A relatively silent ride back in the golf cart leads them to the karaoke bar, if only because Annie quickly took ownership of the wheel before Jeff could get the far-off look out of his eyes. He denies the singing, instead rerouting them to the movie theater _under_ the karaoke bar, where they practice their aim by tossing popcorn down all five rows at a gaggle of Annie’s least favorite, most judgmental aunts. A trip to the music store afterwards guarantees a session of karaoke, thanks to Jeff’s refusal to accept that “Dave Matthews is too irrelevant to have karaoke tracks nowadays”.  


They sing, drink, and dance, and Annie forgets the name of every person she meets five seconds after meeting them.  


~~~~~

“I think you got my Aunt Irma right on the nose.”  


“How’s that even possible?”  


“She’s got a really big nose!”  


Jeff’s laughter comes back muted through the bathroom door, but it warms Annie all the same, and she stops towel drying her hair to slip on her pajama shorts and exit just to get a look at his face.  


“Hey-oh,” he says, turning his head from the TV once he hears the door shut. “Mean Girls is on.”  


Annie giggles, her mouth turning up slowly into a smile. “Tina Fey fan?”  


“It was either this or Pitch Perfect,” he shrugs, “but yes, Fey is cool.”  


Annie perks up, rushing to the couch and inadvertently kneeing him in the thigh when she sits and reaches for the remote. “Sorry. You don’t like Pitch Perfect?” She’s genuinely very intrigued by the fact that he seems to dislike the sleeper hit of the past half-decade, and searches his face for signs.  


“It’s… ok,” he admits, lightly rubbing his outer thigh, the trademark half-smile plastered on his face.  


“Well, good,” Annie says, settling down a little bit closer to Jeff to get into comfortable viewing position, “because we’re watching it.”  


He shoots up from the heavily blanket-covered space they had been sharing, his forehead creased as he glances down at her. “You can watch it, I’m going to shower.” In three strides he’s at the bathroom and pushes the door open.  


Annie looks up at Beca and the Bellas, her outstretched arm holding her up where Jeff’s shoulder had been. Then the click of the door handle demands her attention, and she’s looking at Jeff once more.  


“Forgot my clothes,” he mutters, hurriedly grabs them, and retreats.  


~~~~~

Jeff is in and out in pretty much ten minutes, so they end up watching a little more than half of the movie together on the couch, with little to no complaining from Jeff.  


“I just don’t really like Jesse,” he continues, explaining his dissatisfaction with the subplot.  


Annie frowns. Beca and Jesse are cute. “Why? He’s sweet.”  


“I guess. If you like boring, pushy dudes.”  


Annie scoffs, sitting up on her heels so she can get some height on him. “ _Pushy_ is the dude that practically accosted Britta all those years ago.” She pokes his chest for good measure.  


“Key words being _‘years ago’_ ,” he insists, staring at Annie very seriously. “Also, I’m not boring, and I made up a study group. That puts me like a hundred points over a cappella boy.” Annie watches the light from the TV illuminate his eyes faintly as the credits roll, positioned as close to him as she was before he went in to shower. They had turned off the lights for ambience, and she just now realizes how dark it is.  


“Besides,” Jeff breathes, looking at her, “you can’t base a romance off such little chemistry.”  


Annie stills, and then raises her eyebrows.  


“I mean, Beca had more chemistry with… Chloe, for Pete’s sake.  


“Oh,” Annie hums knowingly, with a slow nod to go along. “You’re one of those.”  


“One of what?” he asks, puzzled. Annie smiles.  


“Nah,” she shrugs, looking away, “if you don’t know now you won’t get it if I tell you.”  


Jeff purses his lips, eyeing her suspiciously. “Is it a good thing?”  


“Yeah,” Annie hums, picking at a thread on her shorts, “if you’re into that sort of stuff.”  


Jeff huffs, directing his contemplative expression at the flower vase on the table. Annie stirs next to him, seeing her shorts hike up where she inadvertently rubs up against his leg, and a very ill-timed rush ripples through her, strong enough to make her spring up from the couch, just as Jeff is leaning into her, presumably to tell her something else.  


“It’s almost eleven, isn’t it?” she murmurs, resting her hand on the back of the couch. Jeff regards her curiously, his right hand flat on the impression she left in the blanket.  


“Um, yeah, I think so. But I don’t have my watch on, and my phone is waaay over there so… it’s anyone’s guess,” he shrugs, rather adorably.  


Annie smiles, nodding as she takes those steps backward to her bed, “Well, I’m going to sleep now, Jeff. My alarm is set for 7:30 so you should probably get some sleep, too.”  


“Alright… grandma.”  


“Funny,” Annie snorts, rearranging her pillows. There are at least seven of them that she must strategically position in order to fit.  


“Hey, Annie,” calls Jeff, just loud enough to get her attention. Annie looks up, meeting his eyes, a new movie illuminating his features. “Today was good,” he says, so earnestly. “I had a fun time.”  


“Me too,” she breathes, straightening up, absentmindedly clutching a pillow to her chest. The sunset is the first thing that comes back to her; the most peaceful she’s felt this weekend. Probably the most peaceful she’s felt in a while. Then there’s Jeff singing Foreigner completely off-tune, getting so into it despite her raucous, slightly buzzed laughter from the front row. Today was more than a good day.  


“Good,” Jeff nods, flashing an unnecessarily self-conscious smile. Annie looks at the bed, and finishes with the pillows. She’s beginning to think it’s always late at night when Jeff becomes too adorably considerate for his own good, and she’ll be damned if it isn’t the best thing she’s learned about him all weekend.  


You didn’t really tell me how things went with Amanda.”  


Annie pulls the sheets back, ready to tuck herself in. She can see Jeff from where she’s lying, though she’s not sure if he can make her out with only the light from the TV. “Amanda is nice,” she tells him, hoping he doesn’t take it sarcastically. “She’s actually… kind of great now. Thank you.”  


“Me? For what?” Annie can barely make out his look of confusion.  


“For today,” she murmurs, her hand inching toward the empty space on the bed. “For caring.” He doesn’t really respond, which makes the next thing Annie says a bit of a long-shot.  


“You can sleep here tonight, if you want.”  


His mouth kind of falls open, and she can already see his body is refusing even though he hasn’t said anything. “Oh no, Annie, you shouldn’t sleep on this couch. Chic isn’t com-“  


“With me. You can sleep here with me.”  


That really messes with him, she can tell, and she thinks maybe his stomach is doing the same kind of somersaults as hers. She lifts her upper body, grabbing at her pillows and placing them down the middle of the bed in a wall. “You’ll have your side and I’ll have mine,” she explains, not daring to look at him. “I just really think you should spend your last night here on this bed. I referred to it as a ‘literal cloud’ on twitter.”  


She finishes arranging, pats it down, and chances a glance. He’s slowly getting up from the couch, his pillow in hand. Annie turns and lies flat on her back, conscious that only her nose is visible behind the pillow wall.  


“Thanks,” she hears, and a second later the room is totally dark, Jeff’s weight sinking down next to her.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even have a good enough excuse for how long this took me. At least it's long, right??? I'm sorry


	4. like wine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> finally, the ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you to those who stuck around and left wonderful comments! this is your story, friends
> 
> (I take some liberties according to time and of course, setting, but if we suspend reality anything is possible! enjoy)

_Too much snoring._

There’s no light, either. Annie can’t open her eyes yet, for reasons pertaining to comfort, but she guesses the curtains are drawn and it’s earlier than 7:30, hence the lack of alarm. Her left arm goes up slowly, the back of her hand settling heavily on her forehead. It’s probably time to wake up now but she can’t bring herself to move because the bed is so soft and it even _smells_ nice, a smell she can’t describe. She picks out, of course, the scent of fresh-pressed cotton, but also something like warmth, if it had a smell. Warmth, something musky… and a twinge of moisturizer? 

As if for the purpose of corroboration, Jeff grunts next to her, shifting his weight. Annie opens her eyes then, suddenly conscious that Jeff slept next to her the whole night, and easily perceives the lack of pressure where Jeff’s hand had been resting on her stomach. The pillow wall between them is all but destroyed, two of them that were near their feet now on the floor, and one that flipped itself over and is currently on Jeff’s head. 

Annie watches him breathe. She gets the sense he’s just pretending to be sleeping still, so she nudges him gently. 

“I’m sleeping.” 

Annie sits up, smiling. “Dummy,” she quips, taking the pillow off his head. He blinks up at her, only one eye open, his pupil visible in the dim light that is now beginning to break through, and smirks proudly. 

Annie unceremoniously smacks him on the head with the pillow. 

She scurries off the bed, giggling at his muffled protest as she tucks her feet into her slippers and makes her way to the bathroom. The sheets shuffle and shift, and Jeff’s presence is soon standing unmistakably behind her at the doorframe. She turns around to check, and he’s just there, eyes twinkling. Her stomach seizes, or she gets butterflies, or whatever this gut feeling is that hits her whenever Jeff gazes at her the way he is doing now. 

She attempts to stifle it, mute it until it inevitably resurfaces, but there are no excuses anymore, in her mind. No excuses for what she feels or what they willingly, unwillingly, or even unwittingly do to each other. So she gazes back at him, tries to beckon him closer as tacitly as possible, and she turns her body toward the sink so she can brush her teeth. 

If Jeff looks surprised she can’t tell, but he plants himself next to her at the double vanity and grabs his own toothbrush, mimicking her. 

They finish brushing and face cleaning in two minutes. Annie drops her cleaning utensils back in her little travel bag, watching Jeff out of the corner of her eye as he does the same. She almost starts gnawing at her lips, purely out of anticipation. From that point, everything seems to slow down three-quarters of a second, when Jeff nudges her gently on his way out of the bathroom, the quiet pat of his bare feet on the tile, all exceedingly slow. 

And if she needs more proof that time is an illusion, she gets it as soon as her lips touch his. 

~~~~~~

In hindsight, no matter how static and unmoving she had imagined the seconds leading up to the kiss, it probably looked more like her tossing her toothbrush into the bag and turning around to lunge at his face once they were both minty-fresh. 

Well, maybe not quite that wild, but they did have a good laugh about it once they eventually broke free, and she got to peck at his lips a few more times and much more calmly. Despite Annie’s fears, Jeff did _not_ run away as soon as Annie unhooked her arms from around his neck. At most he looked at her rather seriously, searching her eyes as Annie did the same with his, because after her hormones settled she realized she had probably just jumped the smoking gun, and considering their history that was probably the worst thing she could do. 

Annie’s shoulders inched up and up, stacking up with worries. “…Was that… cool?” she murmured, or rather, squeaked. 

Jeff laughed, a hint of sadness in it that Annie couldn’t understand, and hugged her tenderly, mumbling an emphatic “yes” into the crook of her neck before lifting her up to initiate their second kissing spree of the day. 

~~~~~~~

Now they sit at their table at the reception, talking with Anthony and Amanda’s friends after what was probably the most beautiful wedding Annie had ever seen. 

Which they almost arrived late to, might she add. 

Her parents had been seated as far away as possible, so Annie could focus on Amanda looking radiant and her brother trying to hold back tears. Jeff made very few snide comments, and only directed at the relatives she didn’t like. The saddest part of the ceremony was not getting to read anything special for the bride and groom, but Annie and Anthony talked it over before that she, first of all, had not received enough time to whip up something independent of Webster’s Dictionary mentions, and secondly, had no available spot for speaking thanks to the deluge of aunts, uncles and friends. Instead, Annie watched, clapped, and cried while Jeff grinned amusedly throughout, handing her tissues when needed. 

Back in present tense, the atmosphere is buzzing, and the music has just started, but no matter the party, Annie is never the first one to get up and dance. Either she watches contently from the sidelines before jumping in, or it takes maybe some drinks and a really good friend to light the fire under her butt and get her to move. Anthony makes sure to sweep her up right after his dance with Amanda, the bride in question whisking Jeff up and away with a cheeky grin on her face to complete the trade-off. Annie cranes her neck to watch Jeff awkwardly vacillate between declining the invitation and compliantly shuffling around as Amanda shimmies. 

Anthony twirls her once and she laughs, seeing out of the corner of her eye that Jeff is actually getting into it. 

He’s definitely not the best dancer. But she knew that already. 

When she turns her face back to her little brother, he’s there with a smile, and completely echoes her sentiment when he says, “I’m proud of you, Annie.” 

“I’m proud of _you_ ,” she smiles, poking his chest for emphasis. As the song progresses, they try to do the robot, laugh about it, and make fun of each other multiple times. Annie is reminded then how lucky she is to have her brother. 

The music changes, they switch partners; a few times during the reception Annie drifts away from Jeff and finds herself uncomfortably close to her mother, but Amanda expertly uses the radius of her dress skirt to put in the appropriate distance between them, and she always has the perfect excuse to take Annie away in the safest direction. 

Annie now feels lucky she has a sister, too. 

The time passes and the sun sinks lower and lower, so the relatives who have to catch flights tomorrow say their well-wishes and warm goodbyes first. The next to disappear are most of Anthony and Amanda’s friends, and Annie supposes that they’re capitalizing on the most popular wedding trope for the night, only to show up tomorrow during breakfast in the same clothes in a way Abed would knowingly nod at if he were to witness it. 

When the sun hits that booming color it did over the lake yesterday during Annie and Jeff’s pseudo-date, Jeff makes it more apparent he wants to leave, tepidly placing his hand on Annie’s waist. 

“The party’s kind of ending, huh?” he says, his nose barely brushing her ear. Annie smiles. 

“I don’t know. Amanda still seems pretty into it.” New sis hasn’t seemed to stop dancing since the afternoon, and has partially taken over DJ-ing duties. 

“Yeah well, she just got married, and she doesn’t have to work on Monday.” 

Annie giggles, turning to face him. “You show up late to work, anyway.” 

“But I go eventually,” Jeff smirks, his other hand coming in for a hold on Annie’s waist as well. She bites her lip and contemplates. “You can put whatever music you like,” he adds, murmuring it out of the corner of his mouth as he glances around the tent in a way that has Annie grinning from ear to ear. 

“I guess the party’s over then,” she giggles, turning and pulling Jeff towards the bride and groom. “But you have to give Anthony a hug.” He makes himself heavier to pull when he hears that, slowing their pace but Annie knows he’s just being difficult for the sake of being difficult. 

“And we’re taking pictures,” she adds, tugging. 

~~~~~

It’s a little before 8 by the time they finish packing and get down to the car, which Constantine brought up from the garage once they checked out at the main desk. He’s still wearing the same wide, unwavering smile as he removes the luggage from the carrier and asks Annie how her stay was, if she tried golfing, and avoids prolonged eye contact with Jeff while the tall person in question watches in silence with his back against the car. 

Annie thanks Constantine and tips him herself, a warm smile and a quick hand on his arm as she says goodbye. Jeff barks out a “thanks, man” and waves as the car door shuts. Annie settles in, taking her ipod out of her purse so she can set up her playlist for the ride, but Jeff hasn’t even turned the car on yet. In fact, he’s just staring at her with his keys on his lap like he’s about to say something. 

“So…” Annie begins, curious and confused, trying to jumpstart his monologue. He doesn’t say anything, so she leans in closer and rests one of her hands on his because this is getting weird. 

He takes her hand and brushes his thumb over the back, clearing his throat as he does so. 

“I think when we get back,” he starts, looking down at their hands, taking his time, and keeping his thumb going ever so gently, “we should… put what happened here away… for a while.” He stops, almost cringing. Annie doesn’t know what to feel yet. 

“If that makes sense.” He kind of grimaces, displeased with himself, and glances now at Annie’s face. She thinks she understands what he’s trying to say, but he can obviously read the confusion on her face, and she hopes he can’t read the sting of hurt because she doesn’t believe that’s what he was going for, even if it sounds right now like he’s ashamed of her and doesn’t want anyone to know they made out like three times. 

They only made out three times! Annie’s eyes are still on his as she starts to get emotional without exactly knowing why: because she didn’t get to do more with him, because he’s ashamed, because his stupid thumb stopped and now he’s just holding her limply. She’s probably interpreting it all wrong but it’s too late now that her damn tears will make their appearance any second. 

“Annie, wait, no,” he reacts, noticing her inner turmoil, and he shifts his body to face her. “This is a good thing!” He doesn’t let her hand go, just tries to hold it tighter. “It’s not you it’s me!” 

Annie has to laugh and it’s completely genuine because that phrase is so ridiculous. Who says that in real life? Her sudden burst shakes some tears loose but impedes the tempest, all while Jeff groans at the cliché. 

“Oh my god, that’s so stupid,” she gets out, wiping a finger right under her eye. 

“It is!” Jeff agrees emphatically, searching her face, grinning still at the way she laughed. “But Annie,” he huffs, shaking his head, most of the merriment gone quickly; “no matter how much I want to be with you, it can’t happen yet. It’s not the time.” 

She looks at him, beginning to understand his point. “My internship?” 

He nods, his eyes thoughtful, mouth set tight. “You’re not ready?” she pushes further, now knowing he actually wants to _be_ with her. She honestly wouldn’t have expected that much, with the way he is, or used to be. 

Jeff laughs, relaxing into his seat as his body shifts back away from her, his smirk returning with a vengeance. “And believe me, you’re not either. I’m old.” 

Annie scoffs, hating this argument. Jeff mimics her, teasing, and lets go of her hand. “You’re old, too. You’re more mature than me half the time.” 

“Very true,” she murmurs. He turns to her again. “But we’re old in different ways,” he adds. 

“Please stop using that word.” 

“Ok,” he chuckles. “I’d make a wine analogy but you already know I know nothing about wine.” He leans in, presumably smirking but she’s not fully looking at him. 

“And I do.” 

“Exactly,” he says. “And that makes you…?”

“Experienced,” she offers. 

“But not like me. And that’s where the problem lies.” She looks at him. His eyes are sad even though he’s still trying to keep the mood light, and she totally gets it. 

“I need to live more,” she says. Not get older. 

“And it starts with your internship,” he nods. 

“It’s a year long.” She goes in for his hand again. It gets cold here at night. 

“Another year just like the six before. I’ll be around, like always. We’ll all be around,” he adds quickly. “But most importantly me.” 

They look at each other for a few seconds, assimilating the circumstances, before Annie leans in for the last time, her right hand going up to rest on his face. The kiss is sweet and short, in near darkness now that the sun is close to finally disappearing. They pull apart, and Annie takes the chance to barely, and purely for self-indulgence, boop his nose. She hears his amused exhale, and the tension dissipates as he finally gets the car started to get them on their way. 


End file.
